Jedi legends: The Dawn of Conclusion
by QueenYoda
Summary: This is the outcome of the Clone Wars, where The Seperatists win the war, Palpatine betrays them all, and The Jedi lose everything they ever were to the Sith. The start of a series where Anakin stays in the light while the universe turns dark.
1. Chapter 1

~Anakin's POV~

In history, he wondered if they would refer to this fight as _the last battle_. On the other hand, maybe it would just be another one of those battles, where they thought they were somewhere close to winning and instead nothing new happened.

Not very glamorous thoughts, surely, but better than thoughts of his potential death, because force knew there were many different ways his death could come now.

Anakin Skywalker, a reasonably young and reckless Jedi knight folded his hands behind his back and stared at the mid-day sun and the chaos below that.

The clones were marching around in the grassless plain like a colony of ants. Being built with quick efficiency were tents and barricades. Cannons and ammunition was loaded and hauled away. AT-AT walkers stomped back and forth in test runs.

The wide room that Anakin was standing in had probably once been a conference room, judging by the red-orange walls and the long red wood table and leather chairs.

The wide windows that let him see the base below and a good five miles after that though made this the ideal place to gather his thoughts in a moment of silence before the battle begun. He so rarely received quiet anymore. He had not for four years.

The twenty-four- year-old man sucked in a deep breath, feeling the force churn around him in a swirling dance.

It was almost time.

Soon, the potential end of the war would be waged. He hoped that the war would end as he had intended for the past four years for it to end.

He- and about the entire Jedi order- was on the planet Amethyst. It had been neutral during the war that had been raging across the galaxy for four years now, but the king had not had much of a choice in the matter when the Separatists had invaded.

The**_ entire_** Separatist army. For some reason, they had pulled back from the other invasions on the other various Republic planets and had taken to this one.

The Republic had met them. Hundreds of Jedi cruisers rested above the atmosphere, guns ready as they faced off against Separatist cruisers silently.

No shots had been fired yet; but the time was approaching. He could sense it. Anakin could not see the Separatists from here- even if he was in the highest building on planet- half way across the planet.

The Jedi were situated at the Imperial palace, where the king had once been before he had been dragged out and killed. **_How_** the Jedi had actually gotten the palace back was a completely long story on the pre-briefing, which Anakin had spaced out for.

Another thing that made this battle special was that there were Republic senators here. Half of the senate; actually.

The Chancellor had proposed it, and not necessarily listening to the Jedi council when they said no, had brought the senators to Amethyst anyway, (an event in which Anakin had tried in vain not to laugh).

_ "What if the Separatists surrender, Anakin?"_ Padme had asked when he had expressed his worry over her coming. Just because he approved of the Chancellor reminding the council who was really in charge of the Republic did not mean he wanted Padme to come to a battle zone too.

_ "Someone will need to give them the terms for surrender. Yes, I know you all could do it, but what image would that put on the Republic? The Chancellor is right; we need to be there. Don't worry, I promise not to run into the field blasters blazing,"_ she had winked at him. _"Unless you all start losing, that is,"_ some things never changed, and his wife was one of them.

The sound of the door opening snapped Anakin out of his thoughts. He smiled feebly when he sensed his seventeen-year-old apprentice, Ahsoka Tano walk in. Though he had only had Ahsoka as an apprentice for four years, the time span of the war, they were one of the closest Jedi teams in the Order.

He had told her to see how the clones were coming along with the barricade about ten minutes ago. She never did like to waste time. Her lanky figure, tense and predatory, came to stand next to him. She folded her hands behind her back, copying him.

"How are the clones coming along?" he asked without looking at her. "Nicely. The wall is already half-built and most of the cannons are in place. My only question is where we're going to sleep tonight?" she asked. Anakin shrugged.

"Huh, don't look at me, force knows I have no clue," he glanced down at her.

The bright sun made her features even more vivid and sharp. His apprentice had matured over the time of the war, and the maturity that had grown with her showed on her serious expression.

"How are you feeling?" His way of asking if she was ready for the battle, that might potentially end this war. She glanced at him, and he saw a familiar energetic sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm ready," a good answer, because he did not know if he was ready. Ready to either win or lose for the last kriffing time.

He shook his head, disposing of those negative thoughts. They were going to win, and this war was going to end. "Well, that's good to know, I didn't think you could keep on this long, Snips," he teased, using her nickname.

Her eyes twinkled and she turned to him. "I didn't think you'd last this long either, gramps," she replied. "I didn't think any of us would last this long," a voice Anakin had not heard in months said from behind him. He grinned and turned to face Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi, standing with crossed arms in the doorway.

"We've blown up enough places to have been killed at least ten times by now," he agreed. His oldest friend chuckled softly and shook his head. He looked older than the last time Anakin had seen him, as if he had aged by fifteen more years. Sometimes the young knight felt the same.

"Yes. Well, this battle may very well be our last. I'm glad," he walked in, standing next to them. "So am I," Ahsoka agreed. "It's about time that we went back to peace," peace, a word that had seemed like a dream for so long now.

"So, does the council have any idea why Dooku just dropped everything on his universe domination list and arranged this whole get together?" Anakin asked. Obi-wan shook his head. "We have no inclining of an idea. It's quite disturbing, actually. There is absolutely no motive that we can see behind this, but," he gave a small shrug.

"Something tells me that we'll find out soon enough," he said. He glanced at the door, and smiled weakly, making him look younger. "Though, some good has come out of this. The whole Jedi Order has not been in the same place at the same time since the beginning of the war. I've gotten to see some old friends," Anakin smiled as well; leave it to Obi-wan to come up with a bright side. Because of his bright side, however, Anakin was left uncomfortable.

He had never felt quite at home within the boundaries of the temple. He had always felt….. different; even with his supposed Jedi brethren. Obi-wan and Ahsoka had grown up at the temple, they had never known a family besides the one they had.

However, he had known his mother. And he had known a different home. Amongst the other Jedi, he felt like an outsider because he knew these things.

"I have too," Ahsoka was saying. "All of the other padawans. I have even seen some that were in the same classes as me when we were younglings. It is weird how long ago that was," she sighed. Obi-wan chuckled and nodded. Anakin did not add to the conversation.

"Is Grievous on planet?" he asked. Both looked at him, snapped out of their cheerful conversation. Anakin was sorry for being the one to do that, but he hated feeling left out.

"Yes, he and Dooku," Obi-wan said, his face warping back into somberness. Anakin desperately wished he could hold his tongue. He would have endured the conversation if it made his master smile for a bit. He had not smiled in so long, neither had Ahsoka.

"Which is most troublesome, to be expected though. Speaking of old friends though, I'm off to go find one," he said, turning on his heel and walking towards the door. "Who? Bant?" Anakin asked. "No, I've already seen her and Garen. **_Trying_** to avoid Quinlan. An old friend I'm fairly sure you don't remember, since you were asleep when the two of you met," Anakin cocked an eyebrow, asleep? Obi-wan half turned.

"Yes, asleep. Never the matter, we both owe her much, since she's technically saved both our lives before," Anakin's eyebrow rose higher. He had never met her, and yet she had saved his skin?

"Obi, darling, you give me too much credit!" A smooth and placid voice said teasingly. "But it's alright, because I deserve all of it!" Obi-wan chuckled softly and turned. Behind him, in the doorway, stood a woman who appeared about a year younger than Obi-wan.

Her skin was a milky dark chocolate. Jet-black hair ran down her shoulders to a little past her shoulders and outlining her cat-like intense bluish-purple eyes was dark mascara.

Tied around her forehead and holding her hair away from her face was a gold ringlet. She wore a black tank top with a green skirt and white leggings. Hiding her attractive gear was a brown robe though. She bowed her head in a tiny bow of respect.

"I really do deserve all of it," she continued. Obi-wan laughed this time and inclined his head in a bow as well. He came forward and grasped her elbows with both hands.

"Humble as always. It is good to see you, Nava," he said. She nodded and eyed his beard. "A beard. Somehow I'm not surprised," she said shaking her head.

She smiled up at him and crossed her arms. "Nevertheless; likewise, my old friend. It has been far too long. Speaking of which, where**_ is_** Bant? I've been looking for her everywhere," she glanced over his shoulder at them. "Is that little Ani?" She asked, her eyes widening a bit in shock and delight.

Obi-wan nodded and moved out her way. "Not so little anymore, I'm afraid," he told her, sounding perfectly fine with this fact.

Nava walked up, ruffling his hair as if he was a child. "Force, the last time I saw you, you were ten years old. Not so little, indeed. Well, Obi-wan, you didn't starve him and he hasn't died of your lectures so you couldn't have been **_that _**

terrible of a teacher," She obviously knew him well. "I'm just resilient," Anakin told her, smoothing his hair back into place with irritation.

She laughed and patted him on the head, to Obi-wan's seemingly immense amusement. "Yes, good child. Who's this then, a padawan?" She asked noticing Ahsoka, who seemed to be having a good time watching Anakin's misery.

"Yes. My padawan Ahsoka Tano," he grumbled. Ahsoka inclined her head respectfully. Nava watched her with twinkling eyes. "A padawan, goodness! It seems that just yesterday I saw you asleep as a ten year old," she said tiredly. She turned to Obi-wan. "Time flies," she said. Obi-wan nodded in agreement, he gestured to the door.

"Let's go find Bant," he offered. She smiled and nodded. "Oh, good. Did you know Quinlan is looking for you?" Obi-wan groaned. Anakin smirked, though the two were close friends, Obi-wan would do anything to stay away from Quinlan. The man drove him insane.

"Let's go then, before he finds me," she laughed and nodded. She winked at Anakin and Ahsoka. "It was good to see you two," she said.

Anakin gave her a curt nod in goodbye and Ahsoka smiled. Then the two were gone. Ahsoka turned to him. "Little Ani?" She asked. Anakin glared at her. "Say **_nothing_**," he ordered.

* * *

So, what do you think? Should I continue? Or drop it now?


	2. Chapter 2

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Where are you stationed?" Nava Venerate asked as she further studied the holo-graphic image of the battle zone. The ships and cannons were ready and waiting in space and on the ground.

Now, the battle was just waiting to be waged. The room that the Jedi council had temporarily named the briefing room was the only free room left, thus it was where they studied the last second plans.

Each Jedi had plans that the council had specifically assigned to them based off where in the battle they would be. Obi-wan wondered how well Anakin would take to that. Probably not well.

"Here," he told her, half miserably. "The Jedi council is staying inside of the palace, to protect the senators in case something goes wrong," he gave her a pointed look to let her know that this idea was certainly **not** the Jedi council's themselves. It had been the Chancellors.

Nava nodded her understanding. She was also just as perceptive as he remembered. They had been friends for most of his life. Nava and him being the two best students in most of their classes.

Without Nava, he doubted he ever would have lived through the grief that came with Qui-gon's death, nor Anakin's apprenticeship. She had saved his life in a way no one could ever imagine.

"He could be right this time," she contemplated without looking up. Obi-wan was leaning against the holo-projector, arms crossed as they spoke for the first time in four years.

"We don't know what Dooku is planning. If he does send assassins after the Chancellor and his minions," she added with a sly smile at him. He felt the corner of his lips perk up.

"It wouldn't be good. We would lose this war before the first battle ended," he nodded. The council had not looked at it that way. They had seen that the Chancellor was ordering them around again. As he was doing far too often these days.

But Nava always had had a gift for seeing both sides of the conflict. Negotiation; or a different way to do it. He was better at just convincing people that he was right.

"A good point. So," he glanced behind him at the holo-gram, he had already studied it so profusely that he had it memorized. "I hear you have taken another padawan as well?" she smiled.

"Yes. Intrepid Camber. She is a Twi'lek. Ahsoka's age. I told her to make sure the cannons are functioning to peak perfection. We cannot afford for them to blow up on us," he nodded in agreement. And then his face turned somber.

"I heard that your first apprentice died at the hands of General Grievous," he said slowly. Her muscles tensed, but she nodded. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked. He knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about.

Thinking on it now, he was immensely surprised he hadn't lost Anakin, Force knew the boy had gotten himself into enough situations to do so. The thought of losing Anakin made him gulp.

She smiled feebly and looked up, straightening herself out. "Yes. It was hard at first, but I live on," and she had been thrust into getting another padawan before she was ready. Just like Obi-wan. She hadn't said it, but he knew the words behind the ones she had said. He understood. More than she knew.

"I'm glad," he said squeezing her shoulder. He knew she would get the message under his words as well. The message that he was there for her. She grinned at him and turned the holo-gram off. "Thank you. Tomorrow evening is when we plan to attack, correct?" she asked.

He folded the hands behind his back. "Yes, it is. Are you ready?" ready to become a peacekeeper instead of a soldier. She nodded; her purplish-blue eyes hardening into determination. "Yes, I am," she agreed.

Before they could go on though, the door opened and into the room walked Jedi master Yoda; his cane thumped the ground softly as he used it to walk in. Both Jedi glanced at each other as he stopped and looked up at them with friendly, wide, emerald eyes.

"Master Yoda," they said with a bow. He nodded to them. "Good it is, to see everyone again, hmm?" ah, so he agreed. "Yes, master," Obi-wan, said. "The Jedi have not all been in one place for awhile. I think we're irritating the senate a bit with our celebrations," Nava chuckled.

Obi-wan smiled in agreement. Yoda shook his head. "Nevertheless, worried, I am. Die, many will," leave it to Yoda to go back to the prospect of war. Obi-wan, for one, could not wait until the blasted conflict was over.

"Less than there have been dying over the extent of the war, Master Yoda," he pointed out. The shorter master nodded and put both hands on his cane. "Yes, right you are, Obi-wan. Clearer the force is," his eyes glazed over. "Sense danger I do. Wary, we must be," Obi-wan nodded, he had sensed it too.

Ever since the Jedi had been put in one place again, the light side of the force had grown. The entire palace was a giant glowing beacon of strong yellow light. Yet the red tinge of the dark side surrounded them. It was a stain of dark energy that promised a violent fight.

"I agree, master," Nava said.

* * *

My gosh, is this chapter two? I think I might have thirty five chapters in all.

~Queen Yoda


	3. Chapter 3

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~Darth Sidious's POV~

Finally, alone. He was alone. It had taken a great amount of talking and giving orders but at last the mob of senators had left him, off to do their separate tasks.

Or, he was fairly sure they would do those too, at some point. Some of them were more than likely walking round gazing at the Jedi women or men. Padme Amidala, he was sure, was probably off trying to track down young Skywalker. Good, his plans were falling into place.

He had altered them. He had debated with himself and spent thousands of hours thinking and re-thinking this through, but at last, he had come up with his new and revised plan.

It was certainly better than having the half-droid fiend Grievous barging into his clean office and kidnapping him like a savage. No, this would be much easier. And would kill many more Jedi much faster.

Darth Sidious, or Chancellor Palpatine as he was known by most other people, slipped himself out of his senatorial robe and dawned on his black cape.

He was about to contact Dooku, and he needed to make sure he was disguised. Suddenly, there was a laugh outside of his door, a Jedi? Anakin? No, it was his clone guards.

Why the Jedi needed to have clones guard him was a mystery. He had dozens of senate guards everywhere else.

He scoffed and continued with his transformation. The small room that had once been the king's office was now his own. It was different than his one on Courascant, but better in a way.

The walls had been painted a light blue. The large fireplace on his right was still smoldering with the fire he had started and ended the night before. The leather chairs and dark furniture was very comfortable.

It was helping him deal with the strong light side that filled the whole blasted room. The entire palace, actually, was filled with the light side of the force. It was disgusting. Purely atrocious.

Shaking his head, Darth Sidious pulled his cape over his face and head. He walked up to his small desk and took out the small comm. link that was a direct line to Count Dooku. It was hidden away safely in his drawers most of the time, and never out of his grasp.

He laid it on his desk and pushed the button. A second later, a kneeling Count Dooku appeared. "My master," the younger sith said, his head bowed. "Hello, my apprentice," his apprentice for the moment, anyway.

"Is everything in place?" He asked. "Yes. My armies, **_both_** armies, are ready and willing to fight. Are the Jedi prepared?" why did he ask such insolent questions? He had been a Jedi once, hadn't he? He knew they were past ready.

"They are. I am transmitting the plans of attack to you," he said, pressing another button on his device.

He had, of course, ordered another copy of each Jedi's battle plan from the council. For once, the ever-heroic hypocrites had not protested. They had willingly just given the Separatists all of their plans.

The idiots.

The machine beeped, indicating the plans had arrived. Dooku nodded to confirm it. "Excellent. And Skywalker?" Sidious grinned. "He will join us soon enough," he assured him. Dooku pursed his lips and nodded. "Get your armies in position, Tyrannus," Sidious ordered.

"The Republic will strike tomorrow evening at precisely 0:500 hours, understood?" Dooku looked up, and Sidious saw a flash of anger at being so brusquely ordered about. Force, he really would miss this man, however naïve and arrogant he was.

"Yes, master," The count agreed. Sidious nodded and dismissed him by rudely turning off the comm. link. He smiled as he lowered his hood. Soon, everything would fall into place and the war would end in victory for neither side.

Only his.

* * *

~Anakin's POV~

_"Be careful out there, Ani, promise me?"_ He smiled as he remembered the promise he had, not for the first time, made to his wife. Her hazel eyes had been filled with so much caring as she gently stroked his face. He would be careful, just to see those caring eyes again.

Anakin flexed his mechanical hand, loosening a few tangled wires as he headed to the Chancellor's office. Ahsoka was visiting a few of her old friends, along with Obi-wan, so he had no one but his own old friend to talk too.

Despite the fact that he was relatively sure no one in the council or the Order would approve of him going to the Chancellor for such personal problems, he had long learned he could come to Palpatine for most things.

He had begun to have a bad feeling since arriving on planet a week ago. The dark side had hung in the air just above the Jedi's combined force signatures of light.

He had felt the slight buzz of discomfort going around, the way each hand was on their lightsabers, despite the fact that they were talking lightly.

The other Jedi sensed it too, he was sure, but the Chancellor would understand what he was truly afraid of.

He wasn't afraid the Republic would fall. No, not really, he knew that the Jedi would fight until there was not one of them left before that happened. And he also knew the clones would follow suit.

No, he was afraid that the people he cared about, the people that he loved the most would die before he did. He couldn't take the loss of Ahsoka. Nor Obi-wan. Nor Padme. Force, if any of them so much as got more **_than a scratch_** he would vomit with regret.

The fear was enough to keep him away from Padme. She had had work to do, true, but he could be tinkering with his starfighter, perhaps even visiting the clones or just plain staring at her **as** she did her work. Going into battle with a heavy and fear-filled heart though had taught him that was how mistakes were made.

So, he walked past the clones with a cordial nod and into the Chancellor's office. The leader of the Republic was slipping his senatorial robe on when he came in.

"Anakin!" he said, surprised at seeing him. Anakin smiled. "Is this a bad time, Chancellor?" he asked, wondering what in the universe the older man was doing.

"No, no, not at all. I was just trying on a new senatorial robe. This one is getting too small for me," Anakin nodded and sat in the seat across from his friend's desk. "What's wrong, my friend?" Palpatine asked as he sat across from Anakin.

He folded his hands on the table, staring at Anakin intently. "Not getting pre-battle jitters, I hope?" Anakin grinned; he hadn't had those since he was thirteen and had gone on his first mission with Obi-wan.

"No, Chancellor. Something close, however. This is…" He sucked in a deep breath, composing his thoughts. "The last battle, or so everyone says it will be. Many of the Jedi and the troops, hopefully not all of us, will die tomorrow. I'm…." he trailed off, ashamed by his un-Jedi like weakness.

"Worried for your friends?" He should have known Palpatine would understand. Obi-wan would have given him a lecture on attachments and how they would eventually lead to the dark side. Ahsoka would have demanded to know if she was a youngling in his eyes and go on about how she could take care of herself without his assistance.

Palpatine was the only one who truly understood.

"Yes," he admitted. "Well, my boy, I'm not even going to **_try _**to promise you that they will be alright. Death is a risk of war. But I can give you your plans for the Jedi attack strategies," he said, pulling out a holo- recorder. A map flashed in front of Anakin, with colors and lines representing each Jedi's moves and targets.

Anakin nodded, he had already seen this, what would it do to help him? "I know. I've seen the plans Chancellor, what could that do to help me protect them though?" he asked.

"Well, the entire Jedi council is staying inside to protect the senate, they weren't too happy about that, may I add, but that means you won't have to worry about master Obi-wan," some of the weight on Anakin's shoulders lifted.

And then a dark dread settled in his heart. Ahsoka. Force, he could not lose her, she was like his daughter. She meant just as much to him as Obi-wan and Padme. Her death would **destroy** him.

"And you can position young Ahsoka so that she's out of danger," he perked up, that was….. Not going to work. The council had already made a place for him to put Ahsoka.

She was to be at the side rear of their forces, protecting the weak side where the least clones would be put. That would mean she had her hands full, but maybe he could put more clones there and position Ahsoka in the back. The Chancellor seemed to see his thoughts.

"Yes, she would be better off in the back," he agreed. Anakin frowned. "But that would be compromising the council's plan," he mumbled. "Maybe another Jedi's part of it. We're all in correspondence, Chancellor," he told him anxiously. Palpatine stared at him thoughtfully.

"I know, my boy. But if you just go ahead with your plan of putting more clones in the weak spot and moving Ahsoka to the back, she'll be safe and you won't be changing the plan **_too _**much. I do not see how it could affect the other Jedi. Only enough to keep her out of danger. I'm sure the council would understand," he said.

Anakin nodded; what damage could it really do? He was moving around a few clones. Force knew the clones would be moved in the fray of battle anyway. And then a new thought sprang to mind, he stared at Palpatine. "How did you know that was my plan?" He asked.

The Chancellor grinned. "Genius minds think alike," he reflected. Anakin smiled and stood, he should get some rest. "I agree. Thank you, Chancellor," he said, the weight of loss lifted from his shoulders. He felt twenty pounds lighter.

"My pleasure, Anakin. Now, I want you to promise me you will be careful. The Republic can't afford to lose you in the last battle," he said, also standing. Anakin chuckled softly.

"I promise, Chancellor," he vowed for the second time that day. "Thank you, again," the leader of the Republic smiled and put a fatherly hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Of course, my boy. I wish you the best of luck. You and the other Jedi, you'll need it, I think," he said.

* * *

Of course they'll need it. Honestly, Palpatine, stop reading the man's mind. By the way, I know we're all of three chapters into the styory, but the battle is about to begin...

~Queen Yoda


	4. Chapter 4

~Ahsoka's POV~

The bed was soft. It was not as soft as the basic mat that the Jedi were given to sleep on in their simple sleeping quarters, but it was enough.

Ahsoka blinked her eyes open but did not move. She lie in bed for a moment, taking in the comfortably warm blanket surrounding her.

She took in the pale yellow walls; this had once been a servant's room. It was even smaller than her own sleeping quarters, but Ahsoka didn't exactly care (though she was sure the maids probably had.) and she took in the sliver of fresh sunlight filtering through her open window.

It was a tiny square hole, and barely opened more than a crack, but it was enough to let the clean, sweet air into her room. The coldness of the moist air chilled her bones pleasantly under the covers.

Ahsoka, normally, wouldn't take this much time to observe a room. But today was the day that they would attack the Separatists. The fight could go on for days, even weeks.

They could win or lose, and Ahsoka would be a part of the process. Ahsoka would **_speed on_** the process, whichever way it went. That fact both exhilarated and terrified her.

Ahsoka smiled and turned over as she sensed a familiar force presence search her room, testing if she was asleep or not. A moment after; her master walked in, fully dressed and lightsaber polished.

He grinned at her. "Morning, Snips," he said cheerfully. She grinned back and sat up, stretching. Reflection time was over. "Morning, master," she said. "Today is the day," Anakin continued, crossing his arms. "Yep," Ahsoka agreed merely.

_He acts like I forgot_, Ahsoka thought. Anakin studied her a moment before he suddenly looked down. Ahsoka eyed him warily; he never looked down unless he was either guilty or trying to come up with a way to say something unpleasant.

"Listen, Snips, I'm… Changing our plan, a little bit," he said at last. Unpleasant was a gentler way to say it. "What? The council already gave us a plan to follow, remember?" Force, he could not change the plan today.

Any other day they could afford for him to be reckless and impulsive but **_not_** today. "I know," Anakin sighed, he looked up again and she could see in his eyes that his mind was made up.

Blast.

"But I have a better idea," of course he did. Because every other 'better idea' hadn't nearly gotten everyone involved killed. "Great," She groaned sarcastically.

"So, I'll increase the number of clones on the side you were supposed to be on," Anakin continued, ignoring her sarcasm. "And you'll defend the back, where the weaker side is." Ahsoka blinked. "You're putting me…. In the back?" She asked slowly, he could** not** be serious.

"Yes," Anakin was glaring at her, daring her to say something. She dared. "So, this is just another of your reckless attempts at keeping me safe because you're an over-protective, untrusting maniac?" Ahsoka summed up.

Anakin opened his mouth, no doubt about to protest her choice of words, but eventually nodded. "Something like that," he relented.

Ahsoka nodded again, wondering how she was going to phrase that she would be perfectly fine since she wasn't a blasted child anymore, and he really didn't **need** to send the council into another hissy-fit today, and it wasn't wise to alter a plan that could possibly affect all of the other Jedi fighting with them and a number of other less than respectful things along those lines.

She looked up at Anakin, and saw that even if she did come up with a way to say all of those things, he probably would not listen to her anyway.

He was one of the most stubborn people in the galaxy, especially when it came o her safety. Ahsoka sighed.

"The council isn't going to like this idea of yours," she pointed out. In truth, she really didn't care much about that. Some of her own plans the council hadn't exactly 'liked' either, but this one was bound to just drive them insane with aggravation.

"They won't be able to say much when it works just as well as their plan would have," Anakin replied with a dismissive wave of his mechanical hand.

Ahsoka blinked. Once. Twice. A third time before she sighed again and stood. "Alright," she chirped, knowing it was of no use continuing the conversation. "What's for breakfast, then?"

* * *

Alright, justy to clarify things in case of any misconceptions, this is the **last** battle. Its why the Jedi are so apprehensive about it and teh force is tinged with dark. (That and Darth Sidious) This battle determines whether The Seperatists or The Republic wins. If they don't win, they all die. If they do win, then the war is over, okay?

~Queen Yoda


	5. Chapter 5

~Obi-wan's POV~

Obi-wan wasn't the sort who loved a battle. He didn't see how anyone **_could _**love the blood-shed and hatred that came with battle. He was not called, _The Negotiator_ because he liked to destroy homes and castles. He did not like to just run in and blow things up if there was another way. If there wasn't; then by the force, hand him a bomb.

Otherwise, he'd would talk it out before he drew his saber.

In this case, since there was to be no talking anything out, he really wished he could go into battle. Standing on the defensive battlements staring at the horizon, which was littered with droids, was as close as he was going to get today though. And he hated that.

Despite his nickname, he would rather lose in an actual battle, lightsaber flashing and enemy snarling in triumph than to lose or die somewhere else. Especially with Senators.

He did not like Senators. Politics, Senators, procedures, he hated it all.

Yet he had to stay inside the blasted castle with a load of primped politicians watching the mayhem from above knowing that if something went wrong, he had to helplessly stay with the senators.

He hated being helpless, he always had. Force, if Padme and Bail were not there doing the same, he might just disobey the blasted council and go into battle anyway. He suspected the other members felt the same.

Obi-wan sighed and stroked his beard. Around him, clones ran every which way; adjusting and doing last minute tests. Clone starfighters blazed in the air above them in triangle formations, preparing for air battle.

AT-AT walkers rumbled below, marching out of the gate with their clone pilots and unto the battlefields. The actual battle would be outside of the barricade, in the fields beyond.

Indeed, millions of clones were in formation a few feet ahead of him, staring straight ahead silently as their Jedi generals sparred with each other and had the clones shoot at them to loosen their wrists. He desperately wished he could be with them.

"Bored, Master Kenobi?" A familiar voice asked, almost happily. Obi-wan turned and smiled feebly as Nava wove her way towards him from the crowd. She stopped in front of him and tucked her hair behind her band again.

"Yes," he admitted. "I wish I could be down there with the rest of you," he stared at the battlefield with longing. "You would rather die a violent death than a peaceful one?" Nava asked teasingly. He cocked an eyebrow at her. She would do the same. She grinned and looked down at the chaos.

"I know the answer to that. It's the same as mine. But you are protecting the Republic, Obi-wan," or, the people who represented it. He smiled ruefully. "You mean half the population of corrupt officials?" he wondered. She snickered.

"Yes, I mean _**them**_. Ah, there's Intrepid," Obi-wan looked down to see Ahsoka sparring with another girl.

She was a light green Twi'lek, her two distinctive head tails twirling as she blocked Ahsoka's attacks. Unlike her master, Intrepid wore a simple brown skirt and beaded leather shirt. The Republic's black insignia was in beads at the front.

"I see. You've trained her well, if she can hold her own against Ahsoka." Anakin's apprentice was quick. He had trained her well.

Even now she was making Obi-wan dizzy with her speedy jabs and kicks. "I like to think so. I'm glad this war will end in her lifetime," he nodded in agreement.

"Last battle, generals," Anakin called as he made his own way through the crowd towards them. He stopped at Obi-wan's side, his arms crossed. "I'll make it look nice for you, Obi-wan," blast the man. He knew how much Obi-wan loathed this idea. "Yes, well, if you don't manage to kill yourself in the making, it will be a grand day indeed," he countered.

Anakin chuckled and looked down at his apprentice. Obi-wan saw his eyes flash with pride. He remembered the feeling. "She won't have to live her entire life in war, a relief," he breathed. "A relief for**_ us_** too," Nava said, a teasing glint shining her eyes.

"Force knows I'm getting too old for this. Right Obi-wan?" He snorted. "Right," he agreed sarcastically. "When I retire, I'll do it on a nice, solitary planet in the mid-rim," she laughed.

Obi-wan snorted; both of them knew that she was joking. She would never retire from the Jedi; in fact, Obi-wan imagined her fighting crime when she was old, frail and dying. He'd probably be at her side.

"Obi-wan is going to retire as a hermit on Tatooine," Anakin blurted knowingly. Obi-wan stared at him, aghast, as Nava burst out laughing. Anakin smiled, but looked at Obi-wan in question. "The part that hurts most, Anakin, is that you were serious," Obi-wan sighed.

"Well, aren't you?" Anakin asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You would make a perfect hermit, master. Grow your beard out a little more and stop acting so civilized and you could be the normal sarcastic, crazy person across the street," he stated. Obi-wan opened his mouth, about to retort with a very unkind comment when his comm. link went off.

He sighed; it was Mace. "Obi-wan," Master Windu said, sounding particularly unhappy about the fact that he was not calling Obi-wan about anything battle related.

"I'm sorry to report that the battle is about to begin," _without us_, Obi-wan finished his unspoken sentence. "We need you back here before it does, my friend" meaning the Chancellor wanted every member present in his room full of corrupt politicians.

He nodded. "I'm on my way," he hung up, frowning. Force, he really disliked the Chancellor. "Don't worry, master," Anakin said, seeing his frown.

"I promise not to have**_ too_** much fun taking down Dooku without you," he smiled, enjoying hiomself immensely, it seemed. Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Anakin, that did absolutely nothing to help me," he sighed.

"You worry too much, old friend," Nava told him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We can survive one battle without the great _Negotiator,_ it'll be less dramatic and exciting, but it can be done. Off you go, we'll be okay," she assured him.

He gave her a feeble smile in response and nodded. "Promise me?" He demanded. She patted his shoulder before turning on her heel and heading back down to the approaching battle. She would promise no such thing.

Obi-wan turned to Anakin. "Anakin-" he began sternly. "I know, I know, I won't do anything unintelligent, irresponsible or impulsive, I promise master," Anakin interrupted irritably. Obi-wan **_highly_** doubted he was telling the truth, but only shook his head.

"I know. Be careful, Anakin, all right? Remember what I taught you: follow your instincts," he instructed. Anakin nodded "always, Obi-wan," he agreed. Obi-wan, mildly satisfied, nodded and turned. Then stopped, did he really have to say it? Knowing Anakin, then yes, he really did.

He half-turned. "Anakin, this could be it," he said softly. "The end of the Clone wars? Yes, I know Obi-wan. It's what the entire universe has been talking about for weeks now," Anakin replied sarcastically. Obi-wan ignored that.

"No. This could be what Qui-gon chose you for, why you are a Jedi in the first place. This could be the moment, Chosen One," realization dawned on the younger man. And fear.

"Use it wisely," with that said; Obi-wan walked away, reluctantly leaving the young Knight to his destiny.

* * *

Well, Obi-wan never was one to sugar-coat things. Good luck, Ani.


	6. Chapter 6

~Ahsoka's POV~

"He wants to **_change _**the plan?" Intrepid asked confusedly. Her old friend ducked under Ahsoka's swing. "The plan the Jedi council gave him? Is he insane?" she asked.

Ahsoka smiled. "Not insane… Just over-protective," she explained. "Yes, well, my master is too, but she would never change the plan now of**_ all times," _**she agreed.

Ahsoka opened her mouth, only to snap it closed again to slam her lightsaber against Intrepid's blue saber. She hadn't seen her friend in eight years.

They had been best friends for a year, before Ahsoka's advancement in all of her classes had spun her ahead, and the two had lost contact. Now, Ahsoka found Intrepid had changed much from when they were nine, but so had she. They were still friends.

"I know. But he's dead set on it. I just hope he knows what he's doing," Ahsoka agreed as she spun around to parry the quick attacks. Intrepid smiled feebly. "I'm sure he does. Don't worry, Ahsoka. Everything will turn out right," Ahsoka grinned.

That much hadn't changed about Intrepid, she was still just as optimistic as Ahsoka was. "Yep, I hope so anyway," she said as their masters walked up. Ahsoka met Intrepid's green eyes; this spar had ended in a draw.

"Ready to go, padawan?" Nava asked good-naturedly. Intrepid nodded and deactivated her lightsaber. "Sure thing, master," she nodded to Ahsoka.

"May the force be with you both," she glanced at Anakin, who studied her frankly for a second before nodding back approvingly. Whatever he had wanted to see was there. "And you," he replied.

"May the force be with you," Ahsoka said. Nava only grinned, as if she did not need the force, and together the padawan and master ran to their own plot of land.

Anakin turned to her, his jaw tightening in determination. She met his serious glare with a look of pure strength and resolution. Losing was **_not_** an option.

Without a word, Anakin jerked his head to the back, where she was stationed. Ahsoka was about to turn on her heel, when she heard the ear-splitting boom of the cruisers firing above.

The Separatists answered with equal force. Droid bombers and ships sailed down from the clouds, raining bombs and shooting at the clone fighters that raced to meet them. Ahsoka felt the ground shake as the droids marched towards them. The first shot had been fired, and now the battle had begun.

Ahsoka looked up at Anakin, who put a hand on her shoulder for a moment before shoving her off. Ahsoka ran to the back, still unhappy about her post, but on her way.

* * *

~Anakin's POV~

_"No. This could be what Qui-gon chose you for, why you are a Jedi in the first place. This could be the moment, Chosen One,"_ Obi-wan's voice rang in his mind. Anakin had not understood what in the galaxy he was talking about at first, but then he had understood.

This could be, probably was, the moment where he would balance the force and save the galaxy. And he wasn't going to do it according to the plan.

Anakin wondered what Obi-wan would think about **_that_**. The young knight pushed himself through the crowd of clones quickly as the marching got closer.

He had to be up front, he had always been up front. It was what a good leader did. Nevertheless, every step could be taking him closer to his death.

_Keep your mind in the here and now where it belongs,_ he ordered himself. He had to tell Ahsoka that constantly and yet he could not even remember it himself.

_"Use it wisely" _blast Obi-wan, why could not he just tell Anakin not to get himself killed and walk away? Why did he have to say **_that_**? Anakin stopped. He was at the front.

Hundreds of clones were standing behind him, blasters ready. He glanced at the clone beside him, Captain Rex.

His captain already had both blasters out and was bending his knees; ready to pull the trigger on the army approaching. Ready to give his life for this half-lost cause, or for his general. Whichever required his life be given first.

Anakin activated his lightsaber, the exhilaration that came with battle starting to pump through his heart. This was **_the last battle_**, force, four years ago; he never would have believed it.

A red blaster bolt shot past his ear. Anakin glanced at it, unfazed as the clones ducked. The first shot was always the trigger. Thousands of blue blaster bolts raged past him.

He could hear the ships above him, clone and droid, fighting for control of the sky. The screech of bombs filled his ears. "Get down!" he ordered the clones as he deflected shots.

The clones ducked as a bomb made the ground explode with debris and shards of metal. Anakin ducked both items as he deflected bolts. He brought his comm. link up to his mouth. _Force, I really hope this works_, he thought.

"Rex," he said to the captain that was probably no more than ten feet away from him. "Now," without an answer, he sensed the clones moving. More clones built up the weak side and the backside was emptier.

What would they do without clones?

He jumped forward, smiling as his blood pumped through his veins with frightening intensity. He slashed at droids, chopping them down so fast he couldn't even keep track. He felt rather than saw Rex behind him, shooting down every droid he missed or hadn't gotten too.

More of his men strode forward, ready to defend and fight next to their general at any cost. _There, _Anakin thought, satisfied. _No harm done. _Yet, he still had a very bad feeling.

In fact, it was increasing now. The force screamed a thousand different warnings in his ear. Heat bubbled under his skin, the excitement moving away the unease. That was what he loved about a good fight. It made everything else fall away.

Anakin let it, and continued chopping down his droids.

* * *

And it has begun. Just to drive you insane, I think I'll give you a little hint about how this battle will end. Let's just say Anakin's plan goes horribly wrong, and leaves a horrible trail of death behind...

~Queen Yoda


	7. Chapter 7

_Above the battle, inside the castle:_

~Padme's POV~

If it had any dignity at all to the action, Padme was sure she would've been the first to press her nose to the window and demand like a pesky child what was happening now. No one would answer her, she felt relatively sure, since the battlefield was nearly impossible to see now.

After only a few minutes of fighting, the debris from falling bombs had splattered the fields with dead bodies and had filled the air with a giant cloud of dust.

The Senators were all in the window, save for the Chancellor, who stared over their heads regally. Padme envied his majesty. "Do you see anyone?" Bail asked softly as he turned his head at every angle for a better view of more dirt. "I certainly don't," Mon Mothma sighed. "Me either," Chu-chi agreed anxiously.

Padme shook her head, struggling not to bite her lip in similar anxiety. She knew that each of her friends were increasingly concerned about the Jedi below than the actual battle. She herself was worried about Anakin and Ahsoka.

She was well aware that both could take care of themselves, but that had been easier to believe when the battle was a million parsecs away.

Now, it was right in front of her, and she could not see **_anything_**. She groaned in frustration. _Anakin, where the blazes are you?_ She wondered frustratingly.

Behind them, the council was very calmly studying a map of the Jedi and their forces, looking perfectly at ease.

"Who's winning?" Senator Sauro demanded angrily, he scrubbed at the windows as if that could clean off the dirt that was fogging it outside.

_Who cares? Where is anyone?_ Padme thought with a hot glance at him. Her husband and best friend were out there, maybe dying, and he wanted to know who was **_winning_**? Padme had the very un-senator like urge to toss him out of the window so he could go see 'who was winning.'

"What in the galaxy is Skywalker **_doing_**?" She suddenly heard Master Windu demand angrily. She did not turn, none of the senators did, but Padme strained her ears, what about Ani? What had he done **_this_** time?

Obi-wan gave a genuine sigh of sincere exasperation. "It appears he's improvising **_again,"_** he groaned. "Now?" Master Fisto asked incredulously. "Of all the times, he has to disobey us now? He's going to ruin everyone's designated plans," of course he was.

"What is he thinking?" Master Windu agreed, he sounded on the edge of hysteria. Padme risked a glance behind her to see Master Yoda shaking his head with a serious look.

_Ani, you are in so much trouble, _she thought. "Anakin rarely thinks about these things ahead of time," Obi-wan explained, rubbing his forehead as if he was growing a tumor on his brain.

"If he ruins **this** plan, if he makes us lose this **battle,"** Master Adi Gallia began; her quiet voice had the sharp bitterness of anger to it.

"Adjust, we will have too," Master Yoda sighed. "We don't have time, master," Obi-wan pointed out. "The bombers will destroy that side and the droids will be able to break through and cause chaos," Master Mundi said tightly. _Blast it, Anakin, what have you done?_ Padme clenched her teeth.

"There's nothing we can do, at the moment," Master Tinn contemplated with a sigh. Padme moved her pupils, looking at them from the corner of her eyes. Master Windu turned to Obi-wan, his face stony and accusing. "I hope you taught that boy well, Obi-wan, because our lives are in his hands now," he growled.

Padme gulped, hoping Anakin knew what he was doing. _Why are you glaring at him?_ She wondered as the other council members also turned to glare at Obi-wan, as if he were Anakin himself.

_He didn't do anything but raise the man, _Padme glanced at the dust covered glass and cringed. Oh, yes, he raised the man. Not the best move.

Miraculously, though, Obi-wan only tilted his chin up the tiniest bit, enough to be defiant and respectful at the same time. "Anakin will not let me down," he said confidently, meeting each of their eyes boldly. He returned his sight to the map and crossed his arms. "He never has," he finished.

Padme felt a burst of pride in her husband's old master. She knew- maybe more than Anakin did- how much Obi-wan cared for him, but standing up to the council? Now, that was both brave **_and_** out of character.

"_He's the council's pet. The Order's perfect Jedi,"_ Anakin had sneered to her one night. However, what Padme saw now was not the council's pet, or even a perfect Jedi, but a brother standing up for his own.

How did Anakin **not** see this? The tenacity and loyalty? He was not that naïve, was he? Padme shook her head and returned to staring out of the window. _Anakin, please don't let us down_, she mentally pleaded.

* * *

Of course I had to do a Padme POV, and of course I had to remind her of what a reckless maniac her husband is. Wasn't that a good moment for Obi-wan, though? Council's pet? I think not. Stay tuned, the battle has only just begun.

~Queen Yoda


	8. Chapter 8

~Dooku's POV~

It was almost funny to observe. Count Dooku watched, with great amusement and triumph, as his droid forces quickly out-flanked the Jedi and destroyed them. And it was all thanks to Anakin Skywalker. The boy was putting up a good effort, but to no avail.

The Jedi's ranks were crumbling, breaking as his droids divided clones from their generals and promoted a fair amount of chaos. Wonderful. He chuckled as he leaned back in his seat.

_**Everything**_ was going according to plan.

* * *

Three days later:

~Anakin's POV~

**_ Nothing_** was going according to plan. None of this was supposed to have happened.

****"General! Our forces have been split in half!" His captain yelled over the comm. link. "The droids are breaking through to the back!" he hollered. Anakin gritted his teeth. Sweat poured from his already soaked hair into his dry eyes.

"Ahsoka!" he barked, his voice harsh and hoarse with fatigue. "Do you…?" He did not even finish before Ahsoka called.

"Master! I've got the droids blocked up back here, but the troops are thinning! I can't hold them all back!" So much for keeping her safe. She had not been safe for three days.

"Rex, get back there with Ahsoka!" he ordered. "Right away sir," thank goodness, because if Rex so much as took more than ten seconds to get back there to his apprentice, Anakin was going to kill him this time.

He ducked out of the way as another bomber flew past and made the ground next to him erupt with explosive. _You will __**not**__ lose this battle, Skywalker!_ He screamed at himself as he had a million times already. Nevertheless, even if he did succeed, according to Rex and the force, the other Jedi's lines had also been split.

The droids had demolished the side Anakin had reinforced, since they were ordered to attack large masses of clones. That had left that side open to attack, and the Jedi (Nava) next to Anakin had had to reinforce the side he had left open, which had sent every other Jedi doing the same, only to have their troops blown up by bombers.

Yep, this wasn't going well. He jumped at another droid, slashing it in half. "Ahsoka, come in" he gasped into his comm. link. "Any luck?" He asked.

"Yes, we're holding them all back. But we won't last long," long? They had lasted three days already. They had been fighting for three straight days without rest or food. They had lasted longer than they should have. "Got it," he gasped. "I'm on my way back there," he said.

He started to back up, still deflecting bolts. "Fives!" He called to the clone a few feet away. "Tell the cannons to aim in front; any droids that make it through will have to deal with us!" He ordered.

Fives only nodded, breathing too hard to answer. He was not breathing clean air. The dust from the exploding ground and mangled limbs and dead bodies had filled the atmosphere with thick, barely breathable dirt and a vile stench.

Anakin turned and ran, struggling to put one foot in front of the other. His muscles were weak, his bones aching. He labored to breath. Yet he had to push on. "Ani!" A voice rang out through the smoke.

Anakin stopped and turned, shielding his eyes against the smoke and dust. "Nava?" he gasped, forgetting all formalities and just calling her by her name.

She appeared from the smoke, her green saber buzzing as it deflected shots. Her brown face was nearly black with dirt and she was gasping raggedly for each breath.

"Yep… How're you… doing?" She coughed. He grabbed her arm and hauled her out of the way of a blaster bolt. She thanked him with a quick glance. "Horrible," he confessed. "You?" He wondered.

She shook her head. "Most of my forces have been destroyed. There are too many to stay in our previous condition. Master Luminara is on the other side," she pointed weakly at where she had come. "She's getting the brunt of it now, she'll be joining us soon enough," he nodded.

"Intrepid went to go find Ahsoka. We have to stay up front," Nava said urgently. He shook his head, too tired to wonder who Intrepid was. "I ordered the tanks to fire at the front, to stop incoming droids," he told her. He looked up as he heard a fighter whizz past in the muck that was now his air. It was only a clone fighter.

"We need more of those," Nava said, reading his mind. "But none of us have been able to get through to the command center in all of this dirt," she growled.

Anakin sighed, and then coughed as he sucked in a breath of vile decay. "We have… To do **_something_**," he said. Nava nodded "We do what we can," she answered. "But it won't be enough, maybe if we…" she was cut off by the sound of her comm. link.

"Obi-wan!" She breathed answering it. Anakin's stomach did a dive, Obi-wan? Force, he had never been more grateful to hear**_ that_** name. How in the universe had he gotten through?

"Hello, Nava," Obi-wan countered, he sounded more stressed than Anakin. "What do you need?" He asked. "Some really strong drugs," Nava replied. Anakin felt his grim mouth perk up in a smile.

"Besides that," Obi-wan chuckled, sounding calmer. "Oh. Well, we need more clone fighters out here, **_now_**. Lots of them, by the way. It would be nice if one of the cruisers come down and," they ducked as another bomb whizzed ahead and landed behind them.

"And drop a shell on the incoming droids. There are just too many," she told him. Anakin stepped in front of her to block blaster bolts that came their way.

"Right. Anything else?" He asked as Anakin heard scuffling behind him. Obviously someone was off to do his bidding. "I still want my drugs," Nava said simply.

Anakin nearly dropped his lightsaber; he liked this woman. "Nava…" Obi-wan began exasperatedly. "Never mind then. I'm only saving the galaxy. **Over and out**," she calmly hung up.

Anakin glanced behind him. "What'd Obi-wan say?" He asked impishly. "He said he's going to go get me some drugs," Nava replied with a grunt.

Anakin chuckled, an action that hurt his chest, but felt good all the same. "Let's help the girls," Nava said, waving him back. Anakin nodded and before he could take a step forward, heard the sound of a cruiser dropping into the atmosphere. Thank the force.

"Here come the fighters. Quick work," Nava whistled as clone fighters sped through the air. The bombs dropping on them decreased immediately. Anakin let out a sigh of relief.

"Alright, the fun has begun," he said. Nava cocked an eyebrow at him. "Fun?" She demanded. Anakin only smiled and ran back to help his apprentice.

* * *

Yah, Anakin ruined everyone's plans and yah, the Jedi have been fighting for three days straight. Yah, the council is going to kill Anakin if the droids don't get to him first.

~Queen Yoda


	9. Chapter 9

~Obi-wan's POV~

He was going to kill himself. This time, he was just going to fall over and die. Why did Anakin insist on disobeying orders? Was it his ultimate goal in life to cause Obi-wan to die early? **_Why_** did he have to do this?

Obi-wan was walking-his pace more of a regular man's run than a walk- through the halls of the castle. The other Council members were right on his heels. In fact, Master Yoda was riding on Master Windu's back just so that they could move faster.

The second after the reinforced clone fighters had pushed the droids back, the Jedi and their forces had been ordered inside to rest.

The Jedi council, likewise, had rushed out of the room, some senators swiftly taking after them, and now were on their way to the battlements and the surviving Jedi walking back in.

Padme and Bail walked two paces behind Obi-wan, their faces strained with worry. He could sense Padme's worry keenly, but at the moment he was too worried about Anakin himself to be reprimanding. The council was suspicious enough about their friendship as it was.

Finally, Obi-wan came to the ray-shielded door that led to the battlements. The clones had opened it before they came, and each member burst into the light. Padme was the first to run to the edge.

"Gracious!" She gasped, covering her mouth in horror. Obi-wan and the others joined her. The plain below was mostly blocked by thick, dry and choking dust and smoke that stung Obi-wan's eyes.

The ground was covered in craters from the bombs. Fighters had landed in many places, still smoking and burning. He could make out thousands of dead bodies and droids, laying on the ground, some with their limbs, most not.

A few moving shapes were slugging around in the gloom. The force was dim and crying with the tragedy of death. Obi-wan let out a slow breath, this was sickening, and it was terrible.

Good men had died here, great Jedi and padawans. Loyal clones. He hoped Anakin had a**_ very_** good reason for helping to cause this catastrophe.

"Let's go!" Not bothering to acknowledge the staircase leading down, Mace vaulted over the edge. Padme gripped the front of his tunic before he could join.

"I'm coming," of course she was. He was planning on bringing her anyway. He nodded. "I know. Bail, come here," he ordered. Bail walked over with a quizzical look, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

Also not bothering with politeness, Obi-wan picked them both up with the force and jumped over the edge. They all landed with a soft thump. "Please don't do that, Obi-wan," Bail gasped as Padme looked up at the six story tall wall they had just jumped from with awe.

Obi-wan ignored him. The other council members and senators raced into the gloom, searching for survivors. Obi-wan searched the force for Anakin or Ahsoka. "Padme!" senator Chu-chi yelled as she made her way down the staircase. "Chu-chi! Come on, we're going to find Ahsoka!" Padme yelled urgently.

She looked up at him with determined eyes. "Which way?" She asked. He motioned for them to follow him and ran to the left. Bail, Chu-chi and Padme followed.

_Anakin, you imbecile. Didn't you say you weren't going to do anything irresponsible, immature or unintelligent? How is __**any**__ of this responsible?_ Obi-wan thought furiously as they made their way through the heaps of dead bodies.

Obi-wan checked the force, were they close? Yes.

He stopped, desperately searching the area. A few clones limped around them, groaning. _Anakin, I swear, if you have gone and gotten yourself killed…_ his murderous thoughts were interrupted by Padme. "Anakin!" She yelled.

He was hot on her heels as they ran to a slumped form. Obi-wan stopped as he found his friend. Anakin was sitting on his knees, Ahsoka's head cradled in his lap.

Her face was scrunched in agony as she held her bleeding side. Next to him, Nava crouched over the two, healing Ahsoka with the force. Intrepid stood over them, breathing hard.

At the sound of Padme's voice, Anakin looked up. His blue eyes were dull with exhaustion and guilt when he looked up. "Master," he croaked as Padme dropped on her knees next to him, her eyes anxiously searching for injuries.

"How much trouble am I in?" all thoughts of murder fled and utter relief replaced them.

Ahsoka's injury was enough. The look in Anakin's eyes told Obi-wan that he felt awful, that he felt the death around him keenly enough. Obi-wan felt sure that Anakin had learned his lesson**_, and _**earned a lecture, but that was for later.

He sighed and went on one knee next to his friend. "Don't worry about that now," he instructed gently. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Anakin smiled wanly and shrugged. "It ended in a draw," he said simply. Padme sat back on her heels, staring at him. Bail snorted and Chu-chi shook her head. Obi-wan chuckled and put a hand on Nava's shoulder.

"Yes, it did. For now. Come on, all of you. Ahsoka, I know you won't like this but you are not walking," said padawan opened her mouth to argue, but quickly closed it when she cringed in pain. Obi-wan motioned for Bail to pick her up as he slid an arm around Nava.

"Padme, Chu-chi, get Anakin please. Force knows he can't walk either," Anakin also opened his mouth to argue, but went silent under Padme's glare.

Obi-wan stood and looked at Intrepid. "Rex!" He called. The clone appeared out of the murk and without a word, slid and arm under Intrepid and just plain picked her up tiredly.

"Rex, you're tired," Ahsoka and Intrepid protested in unison. "Don't worry, commanders," Rex sighed. "I'll live on," Obi-wan nodded, though a bit guilty for taking up more of Rex's energy and jerked his head towards the barricade. "Well said, Captain, let's get them inside."

* * *

And so neither side won. The Republic is still at war with the Seperatists. Again, we have about six more battles before the end. Man, I feel sorry for Anakin. Sort of.

~Queen Yoda


	10. Chapter 10

A week later:

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin had experienced death. On the battlefield, he had experienced constant slaughtering and unexpected death. He had led those men to their deaths each and every time.

But those were casualties. In war, there was bound to be casualties, he wasn't so naïve as to think otherwise. There was nothing he could do to avoid those.

This, he could have avoided. This time, each death, every Jedi and clone that had died had perished because of him.

The guilt was excruciating.

Anakin gulped as he walked into Ahsoka's room. She had gotten hurt, despite his plan. Shot in the side. It had only torn flesh, but the thought of what could have happened caused him to cringe in terror.

Another thought that involved cringing was the fact that they were about to go before the council for their report. It had taken a week for the Jedi council to debrief all of the Jedi survivors, and finally Anakin and Ahsoka had been called in for their report.

He dreaded the idea.

With a sigh, Anakin headed into Ahsoka's room. Inside, he saw her asleep, her predatory features more visible in slumber_. I'm sorry, Snips_, he thought as he walked closer. She looked so… Young. She looked much too young to run into battle every day.

She looked much too young to have seen the things she had seen. She looked too young to have done the things she had done.

Not for the first time, Anakin decided that he loathed war. He loathed it with everything in him. And he had ruined the one chance he had at ending it. Perfect.

Anakin knelt next to his apprentice, gently shaking her bare shoulder. "Ahsoka," he called softly. "Get up," almost at once, from war-bred instinct, her eyes snapped open.

In the dim light, her dark sapphire eyes appeared to glow like a wild cat's. "Master?" She asked, sitting straight up with a flinch of unhealed pain

She looked around, searching for the incoming droids or battle tanks. "What happened?" She was too young to wake up and wonder who had died and if they were going to die next. She had not even begun to live. Anakin smiled weakly, no use in depressing Ahsoka too.

"The council wants to see us, **_now_**," he told her. Ahsoka's face dropped. She gulped. "Our death sentence has arrived," she said shakily. Anakin snickered, that was a good way to look at it. "Yep, come on and get up," he said. Ahsoka nodded and stood.

For some reason, she liked to sleep in her old tube top and skirt, and Anakin noticed just how much she had grown in it.

She was no longer the immature, naïve, know-it-all apprentice he had once known. She had grown. Something along the lines of a sad pride grew in Anakin's chest. She could be a knight soon. The thought terrified him.

_ Well, she's no safer with you than without you,_ a voice mocked in his head. Anakin winced and shook his head as he walked out. He leaned against the door, waiting, but just as his back touched the wall, Ahsoka came out, fully dressed and ready. He had never been able to figure out how she did that.

"Let's go," she said quickly, her face serious and ready. She looked like she was about to go into battle. Anakin nodded and the two walked down the halls to the substitute council room. It was a rather large room, the edges consisting of a small staircase.

When Anakin and Ahsoka walked in, , the council members all stood in the middle in a tight circle, talking quietly. They turned, and despite the fact that blame was not the Jedi way, Anakin saw the accusations in their eyes. Behind that was weariness.

Ahsoka and Anakin stood there, hands folded behind their backs, facing the council, who all stared at them sternly. _This isn't going well already,_ Anakin thought, his eyes flicked to Obi-wan, but it was impossible to read the expression on his former master's face.

Anakin felt a rush of anger. How many times had Obi-wan told him to lay the blame where the blame belongs? Who attacked the Republic, was it Anakin? No, so why were they accusing him of being a failure? If anything, they should have been mad at Yoda for training Dooku. He was the Traitor. Not Anakin.

At last, after an eternity of straight staring, Master Windu sighed and said. "I don't even know what to say anymore, do any of you?" He glanced at his other council members. "No," the others said in unison.

Anakin sensed Ahsoka flinch. He, on the other hand, was slightly impressed with himself. He had run the Jedi council out of words? Now that was achieving the impossible. He was **_so_** the Chosen One.

"Go," Yoda ordered in a sigh. He looked older all of a sudden. The guilt returned in a prick, was he really that much of a menace?

Ahsoka nodded and quickly they walked out.

* * *

~Palpatine's POV~

"It just makes me angry, Chancellor. How they can preach about forgiveness and not blaming others and then when I do something wrong, they want to glare at me?" Anakin said as he paced across the room.

The dark Sith only tapped his fingers on his desk thoughtfully, staring at the boy patiently. Inside, he was grinning.

"It just isn't fair. I mean, it wasn't only _**my**_influence that ruined the plan. With or without my idea, things would have happened the way it did," Anakin grumbled.

He sighed and stopped, crossing his arms across his chest sulkily. "And on top of that, force, I just feel so… Guilty. So many people died because of me," he sighed.

This was going better than expected. Palpatine had encouraged the boy to go through with his plan knowing that this would happen, but force, he didn't know it would have ended**_ this_** well. Guilt, anger, fear; it was all a part of the dark side.

Palpatine nodded understandingly. "I know, Anakin. It frustrates me just to hear about it. I watched from the windows of course, but I never thought about the side-effects of all this. What did Master Kenobi say?" He wondered.

Anakin glanced at him; he was staring out of the window at the ruined battlements. "Oh, Obi-wan? He didn't say anything," he answered indifferently.

"Honestly? Hmm, I thought at least he would have said something in your defense," Palpatine said, discounting the fact that Obi-wan**_ had_** said something earlier. Anakin laughed bitterly. "Obi-wan is the council's little lap dog, he's the Orders perfect Jedi," he sneered.

"It's why I can't come to him about any of this. I really do care about my master, Chancellor; he's a good man, but he…" Anakin sighed. "He's just… Obi-wan. He would not understand. He never understands, or even listens to me. Back to the council though," he said quickly.

Palpatine gnashed his teeth. _Blast! The boy is still too attached to Kenobi. Turning them against each other will be harder than I had anticipated. _

"Yes. You know Anakin; I did hear the council when the plan started to collapse. I know it's none of my business to be eavesdropping, but they knew that the plan would fall apart eventually. They clearly- and rightly- anticipated what would happen, so I wonder, why didn't they do anything about it?" He asked. He saw Anakin's eyes flash, but then settled down.

"They didn't know how to help at that point," he explained slowly. "And maybe they thought I…" he turned, staring at the Chancellor, seeking his opinion. "That I knew what I was doing?" He wondered hopefully.

The secret Sith smiled pleasantly. "Of course. You know them better than I. Perhaps that was the case. But if it is, wouldn't they share some of the blame as well? Why lay it all on you?" He asked. Anakin turned again, and his face was a mixture of thoughtfulness, rage and guilt.

"I don't know," he said. "I don't know Chancellor," he said, again slowly. Palpatine smiled wickedly.

Mistrust and guilt were a trick of the Sith.

* * *

~Padme's POV~

"You… Literally, made the Jedi high Council speechless?" Padme gasped, staring at her husband, who stood proudly before her. Despite his posture however, Padme could see the glints of guilt in his eyes.

"Yep," Anakin said with a nod. Padme arched an eyebrow and put her chin in her hands. "Impressive, to say the least. I don't think you should be so proud of it though," she pointed out. Anakin shrugged.

Husband and wife were currently in Padme's unofficial office. It was small, and the walls were dark pink, her **_least_** favorite color, but it was comfortable. Anakin had already told Padme about the council meeting so far. She had a feeling there was more.

"I have a good reason to be proud of it," he scoffed. "It's about time they followed their own rules. How can they blame me for this, Padme? I admit it was mostly my fault for going against the plan-" "and not telling anyone about it," Padme added. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"And that; but lay the blame where the blame belongs, as Obi-wan would say. It was not all my fault. The Chancellor says that they knew what was going to happen before it truly did. Why could not they stop it? Why don't they take some of the blame for once? On top of that, where was Obi-wan during all of this? He could have said something. I know he's a master now, but…" Padme interrupted smoothly. "He did say something," she told him firmly.

Anakin's eyebrows crinkled in surprise. She rarely interrupted him. "What?" he asked. "He did. When the council first found out that you were going against the plan. Your right, I don't know why they didn't do anything, but Obi-wan did say something. Master Windu glared at him and said…."

Padme scowled, trying to recall the Jedi Master's exact words. "Basically, he said he hopes Obi-wan taught you well because if you failed we were all going to die," she said at last. Anakin growled. "Typical," he sneered.

"And Obi-wan lifted his chin and said, these were his exact words, Anakin," it was easier to recall what Obi-wan had said. She did not ever believe she would forget for some reason. "He said: 'Anakin will not let me down. He never has," she quoted.

Anakin stared at her incredulously. "Don't lie to me, Padme," he said firmly, his blue eyes searching hers. "I'm not," Padme replied, a bit hurt.

Why would she lie about something of this importance? She knew how much Anakin vied for Obi-wan's approval. _Why doesn't he trust me?_ She wondered vaguely.

Anakin stared into her eyes a moment longer before nodding. "I... Guess he did," he said at last. Padme nodded.

Anakin looked away, his arms crossed. "Are you sure you heard right?" He asked again, and this time his voice was anxious, almost desperate. He sounded like the nine-year-old boy she had met on Tatooine, the one who desperately craved his master's attention and praise. Attention and praise he never received.

"Yes, Ani," she laughed. Standing, Padme reached across the desk and put a hand on his arm. "I heard right. I promise you. Obi-wan cares about you, I've told you that. Now what else happened?" she asked.

Anakin did not answer; instead he looked at her with a weak smile. She saw the glimmer of guilt in his eyes grow larger.

"Even after he stood up for me, I let him down," he whispered. Padme felt her heart sink, she had never meant for him to take it that way. Anakin shook his head and squeezed her hand. "I've got to go," he said. Padme smiled and nodded.

That was her Ani; he would fix his mistakes, whatever the cost. "I know, but…" She trailed off, wondering if now was the time to tell him. Anakin studied her, and she knew he had sensed the bit of anxiety within her.

"Padme?" he asked softly. Padme bit her lip, no hiding the truth from him now. She looked down. _How do I phrase this? _She wondered for the sixteenth time that week.

"Phrase what? I can sense your anxiety, Padme, what is it?" He asked. He leaned forward, his eyes burrowing into hers worriedly. Padme took in a deep breath. "Anakin, I'm pregnant."

* * *

Boom! So I guess you already know this is around the time ROTS Started and the chancellor was saved. I posted such a long chapter because I really wanted you to get the full affect of the after-math of the first battles, especially Anakin's guilt. The next chapter will be oddly over-awesome.

~Queen Yoda


	11. Chapter 11

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Ah, come on, no fair, Obi-wan!" Nava yelled as he grinned. Obi-wan leaned back in his seat, grinning. "I won," he sighed with an unsympathetic shrug.

Nava crossed her arms and studied the Sabbacc table with frightening intensity, trying to discover how exactly she had lost.

Obi-wan chuckled as he watched her. She had been a challenging opponent, and that was impressive. He was known for his skills at this game, and she had given him a run for his money. Silently, he thanked his dead old master for his many lessons on Sabbacc.

"I still have no clue what you did," she growled, glancing up at him with sparkling eyes. She wasn't as competitive as most others. He smiled. "A wise master never reveals all of his tricks at once," he told her wisely.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't lecture me beard boy! Tell me how to win!" she demanded. He laughed, Nava had that effect on him; she could always make him laugh, she always had.

"Another game?" he requested humbly, waving at the board. "I admit you were more challenging than most of my opponents," he confessed. Her eyes sparked with pleasure. She had always had an energy around her that sparked with her emotions. She was open and warm, balancing out his cold and closed.

"I wish I could, Obi, but I have a certain meeting with Bant to uphold. She's going to show me a few more tricks for healing," he nodded, a bit disappointed. He liked Nava's presence. He felt as if he could **_have_** emotions around Nava. She did not care. She did not judge.

"Alright. Try not to blow anything up," he cautioned teasingly. Healing had never been her strong point. She rolled her eyes "very funny," she grumbled standing. He chuckled again.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar force presence outside of the door. A second later, Anakin walked in. He grinned at Nava. "Hay, Nava," he noticed the Sabbacc board and his eyes widened. "Please tell me you beat him?" He pleaded. Obi-wan sighed, so unsupportive.

Nava snickered. "No, I did not. He's _The_ _Negotiator_, remember? No beating him yet," she told him. Anakin sighed dramatically as Obi-wan smiled smugly. "Blast," he said.

Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow at him. "If you'd like to see me lose so much, Anakin, then why don't you come and beat me yourself?" he remarked, gesturing to the board. Anakin narrowed his eyes, sensing the challenge, and Nava shook her head.

"All right master and former apprentice, I'll leave you to it. May the force be with you **_both_**, we all know you're equally annoying," she said. She earned two well-thrown pillows at her head in response before she vanished out of the door. Anakin shook his head, smiling at the door.

Obi-wan grinned and used the force to grab his data-pad. He glanced up at Anakin, wondering why he was here.

Usually, he didn't leave an injured Ahsoka's side. Whatever had happened, it must've been terrible nad life-altering for him to come to Obi-wan, that or his guilt was eating at him.

Obi-wan was well aware that Anakin would feel guilty about the ruined plan. Guilt in Anakin's case was both a good and bad thing.

Guilt caused him to learn faster, it made him look at each situation before hand so that he would not make the same mistake that had caused him guilt in the first place. Nevertheless, Guilt could also eat at him.

It ate at Anakin until he came to hate it so thoroughly that he hated the situation, and tried to switch the blame from himself to others just to alleviate some of the guilt.

Obi-wan had watched both occurrences, and wondered which was in effect now. Anakin stood there, arms still crossed as he looked at the door. Finally, he shifted his eyes down at Obi-wan. "What are you doing?" He asked. "Creating new battle plans, for the next attack," Obi-wan answered casually. Anakin sighed heavily.

"Why can't the Jedi just make up their own plans?" he asked. "You know why, Anakin" Obi-wan replied. They couldn't because each Jedi corresponded to each other on the field.

This was teamwork, not blindly following one's own impulse and independence. That was exactly the reason why Anakin was not good at it. He followed his own rules and calculations.

Anakin landed across from Obi-wan on the small pillow, and lazily began to move some of the board pieces around with the force. "I do," he grumbled in agreement. "But you know I'm no good at team battle," he said.

Obi-wan nodded, his eyes still skimming the data-pad. "Yes, I do know that. Nevertheless, it still does not give you the right to completely disregard the plan you already agreed too," he pointed out, ever the teacher.

Anakin ran a stressed hand through his hair. "I know it doesn't. I'm sorry, Obi-wan," Obi-wan looked up, shocked.

Anakin had rarely-no, Anakin had **_never_**- apologized for his battle disobedience. Plainly, anyway. He had veiled an apology in the next battle, when he did something out of the ordinary or followed orders for **_once_**.

However, he had never just out and apologized.

Obi-wan sat for a moment, for one of the first times in fifteen years, at a loss for words and wondering what he was supposed to say. Anakin, who had been looking down at the boards, still moving the pieces, glanced up, and Obi-wan saw the guilt hidden in his eyes, which reminded him of another boy's eyes. The same boy who had grown to be the man in front of him.

"Anakin," he said at last. "Have I ever been angry the thousand other times you didn't obey orders?" he asked. A brief smile answered him as Anakin looked down again. "No," he agreed.

"Then why are you apologizing?" Obi-wan finished his point smugly. It was true, he had never been angry with Anakin at all. He had been irritated, disappointed, and completely exasperated with his young friend, but never angry.

"Because I let you down when you stood up for me to the council," Anakin explained softly. Ah yes, that. Mace still would not let him forget that.

Obi-wan shrugged. "No expectations, just acceptance," he reminded Anakin of one of the oldest Jedi sayings. It was one of the hardest to learn. Anakin huffed. "That doesn't make me feel any less guilty about it," he told him.

Obi-wan chuckled and returned to his data-pad. "Truly, Anakin, its fine. I do that a lot anyway, the others are used to it," he told him.

He had stood up for Anakin many times; it was why the boy was still in the Order when he had disobeyed them just about every time the council gave him an order. Any other Jedi would have been expelled.

Anakin blinked. Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't know that?" He asked, surprised. "No," Anakin gasped. "How in the universe did you think you've remained in the Order, then, Anakin? You know other Jedi get expelled for the things you do," Anakin only kept gawking.

Obviously, he had not. He was so oblivious. He was still so young, so naïve. Obi-wan sighed. "You have got to pay better attention to your surroundings, my young friend," he said. Anakin gritted his teeth, thinking. "I guess I do," he said at last.

Obi-wan nodded, satisfied. They stayed in a compatible silence for a moment before Anakin spoke again. "You're creating a battle plan for everyone?" He wondered, surprised. "Of course not. Only a certain section," Obi-wan answered, still not looking up.

"My guess is that the council is reluctant to put me anywhere near the fighting again?" He was too smart for his own good. "Yes," no use in lying to him.

Anakin put a hand on his chin in an unconscious replica of Obi-wan. "What about the base? The Separatists base?" he questioned. "What about it?" Obi-wan asked, looking up.

"Well, while the droids are fighting us, that means that the base is left virtually vulnerable, and I'm fairly sure our friends the Count and General Grievous are at that post," he pointed out. "Yes. So what do you want to do?" Obi-wan wondered curiously.

"I can go in via starfighter, and take a few clones with me. While they distract the few droids there and Grievous, I can sneak in, plant some bombs and," he shrugged, azure eyes flashing. "There goes Count Dooku and General Grievous. The war is at an end and the Republic is saved," he said cheerfully. Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow.

"It's an impressive plan Anakin," he said slowly, thinking that it was also a very simple plan and those usually didn't work. "But its dangerous. Very dangerous," he pointed out. Anakin shrugged. "Since when are our lives safe?" he asked. Obi-wan ignored that. "If even one thing-the slightest thing- goes wrong, there will be no rescue," he said.

Anakin nodded gravely, he knew that. If he was captured or shot down, the Senators would not allow the Jedi to send any sort of rescue **_anything_**. It would waste valuable resources to rescue what could possibly be a dead man. Anakin would perish, no matter what the outcome.

"I know, master. But I have to try at least. You said it yourself, it's a good plan, and I bet Dooku will not be expecting it. Surprise is the ultimate weapon, remember?" He countered.

"So is surviving to live another day," Obi-wan sighed. Anakin pursed his lips and glared. Obi-wan met his gaze squarely. This would be a difficult argument to win. He was not called, _The Negotiator_ for nothing although.

"Obi-wan, what really could go wrong?" Anakin asked. "I could get captured, shot down or killed, whatever. In that process, **_something_** will happen to where the Separatists will get knocked down some of their advantages. If I get captured, you know I **_will_** blow up that base, even if I have to plant the bomb right in my own cell," why did he have to put that mental picture in Obi-wan's mind?

"Shot down, well, I'll make sure to crash land in some place where I'll cause the most damage," he would, Obi-wan knew he most certainly would. "And if I die, then someone is going down with me. Dooku or Grievous, I do **_not _**care. I am going to make sure one of them dies with me. For force sakes, no matter what, we'll still get closer to winning this war," he said obstinately.

Obi-wan sighed; he could not find any argument to that. Not one that a regular Jedi general would give. Most of Obi-wan's reason had nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with he just did not want Anakin to die.

He would never admit it, but he would literally lay down his life without hesitation for Anakin, he would do**_ anything_** for his friend.

The man was one of the few people who had found a place in his heart and earned his undying loyalty and trust. Life would be extremely boring without Anakin anyway. Who would he lecture? They were so close to peace and he wanted to go and do something **_else_** foolish?

Instead of saying that, however, he countered with; "and do you suppose to leave your padawan without a master?" He asked. Anakin's face and eyes dropped. "I don't want too," he mumbled.

"But she'll understand if that does happen. She'll be proud," he groaned, sounding unsure. Obi-wan sensed another reason behind his hesitation, he was thinking of more than just Ahsoka. Probably Padme.

"We both will," Obi-wan agreed. "But it will not make the fact any easier to bear," he pointed out. "You should not jump into situations like these thinking only of yourself, Anakin, what about the others around you?" he wondered.

Anakin looked up, his expression slightly suspicious. "It is not the Jedi way to sacrifice many lives on the account of one," he said firmly. _Oh, now he wants to follow the Jedi way, _Obi-wan thought begrudgingly.

He sighed. "That's true, but neither is suicide," he said. Anakin threw up his hands. "Blast, Obi-wan, you're speaking as if it's a sure thing I am going to die! Have some faith in me, will you? I can do this," he leaned forward, eyes burning into Obi-wan's. "You trusted me before, now I'm asking you to trust me again. I can **_do_** this," he said fiercely.

I _trusted you before, and we all see how that worked out,_ Obi-wan thought it but did not say it. Anakin had his absolute trust, no doubt.

Obi-wan would give his life for him, but that did not mean he was going to let him go on a suicide mission that both of them knew was for the pure purpose of redeeming himself. Anakin must've guessed his thoughts. "Master," he said softly, in a voice that demanded Obi-wan's immediate attention.

"You said, before the last battle, that this could be the moment I did what everyone has been waiting for me to do. I **_am_** the Chosen One, we both know that, some blasted crazy force users told me so," Obi-wan snorted.

He did not think Anakin should exactly believe the opinions of the Father, Son and Daughter. They were all dead now, which did not give a very good impression of the outcome of Anakin's plan. In fact bringing them up only made Obi-wan more anxious.

"You taught me well, master," Anakin continued. "Trust **_that,"_** Obi-wan blinked and sat back, startled, **_had_** he taught Anakin well?

He had wished so many times that he could go back and teach the boy again, there was so much he had not known. So much of that that he knew now. Anakin could have had such a better master, and yet there was no erasing what had already happened.

He sighed again, and as usual when he felt lost of confused, Qui-gon's voice popped to mind. _"You know the answer, why don't you trust it?"_ Trust, he had a hard time with trust.

"Fine," he said at last, reluctantly. "I'll pose it to the council," he knew they would approve, if only to keep Anakin away from the action. So, apparently, did Anakin. His entire face brightened. "Yes! Thank you, Obi-wan," he cheered.

Obi-wan smiled back, he still had a bad feeling about the plan though. The dark side was strong.

* * *

Yah, so Anakin is going on a suicide/redemption mission. What else is new? Did you hear what Nava called Obi-wan? Beard boy, I still laugh at that one, I find the name very amusing.


	12. Chapter 12

~Padme's POV~

She hated it when he did this. Sure, he was the _Hero With No Fear_, _The Chosen One_ and a number of other impressive titles, but he was also a man. And men could be killed, heroes or not.

She could not afford for him to do that, their baby needed its father. She needed her Ani.

However, leave it to Anakin Skywalker to go on a redemption death adventure when he knew her hormones were acting up and she would probably either explode into hysteria or tears.

She was on the edge of both, despite her calm face, as she stared at him. He was staring back almost anxiously, waiting for her to give a comment on his plan.

She could hardly believe Obi-wan had agreed to this, was he trying to get her husband killed? Anakin must've put a saber to his neck. No, not even for that would Obi-wan have caved in. Was he dead?

She opened her mouth, about to ask, but Anakin interrupted. "Listen, Padme, I know it has its risks, but I'll be okay," she only continued to stare. "I mean, it's only a simple go in and destroy mission, what could go wrong?" Did he just ask that? He did **_not_** just ask her such an idiotic question.

She could give him a whole list of things that could go wrong. "You have to trust me, Padme, you do, don't you?" why did he keep interrupting her? Padme sighed. "You know I do, Anakin. I'm only worried," put simply.

He nodded and squeezed her hands, which had been in his for the past ten minutes. "Don't be. I've done this ten million times," he told her.

_Yes,_ Padme thought. _But those ten million other times, if something happened, we knew that help would be on the way. _This time, there would be no help.

He was glancing back and forth between her stomach and her, as if he were afraid her impending anger would harm the child. She couldn't help but smile. She put one of his hands on her un-swollen belly. The baby hadn't started to grow yet.

"Besides," Anakin continued, smiling back. "You know that if anything goes wrong, you and my padawan will probably steal a ship and fly off to come get me anyway," he pointed out.

Padme grinned, her worry evaporating, that was true. Padme would most certainly go and steal a ship, with or without permission, which she was fairly sure Obi-wan would get for them anyway. Ahsoka would be right by her side as they looked.

"We will," she agreed. "It would be fun. Are you…" she took a deep breath. "Sure you can do this?' She asked. Anakin nodded, his eyes digging into hers with a daring determination that she loved. He was not perfect, but despite his imperfection, he was still brave enough to want to face the universe knowing he was flawed.

His over-confidence, strangely, gave her strength. "Padme, I can do it. I want to end this war, for you, for our child, for Ahsoka and Obi-wan," he leaned forward. "My child will **_not _**grow up in war," he growled, and it was more of a decision than a hope. It was decided then.

Padme felt her own heart harden with resolve. Their child would not grow up as Ahsoka had, with war, deceit and betrayal. Though Ahsoka had thrived under the challenge, it had taken away what little childhood she had. Padme nodded in agreement, over her dead body would that happen to her child.

"I agree. But Ani, the baby also needs its father," she put a hand on his. "Alright?" She asked. He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Alright. I'll be careful, I'll come back to you **_both_**. I promise you." Padme smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Two days later:**_

~Ahsoka's POV~

"I still can't believe he talked you and Master Kenobi into this," Intrepid said for the fifth time as they made their way towards the newly built blockade. "Me neither," Ahsoka sighed with a wan smile. Her master, despite the fact that words were by no means his strong point, was very persuasive when he wanted to be.

Meaning he had bribed her and irritated Obi-wan into doing as he wished. Different means of convincing, certainly, but whatever worked.

He had promised to let her go into Courascant's underbelly with a few of the other padawan's as a sort of celebration when the battle was over. Force knew what he had done to Obi-wan.

"I think he'll be fine though," Ahsoka continued indifferently, her master had had harder missions. "I'm just glad he agreed to let me stay with you and Master Venerate. This will be fun," she observed. Intrepid grinned and nodded in pure agreement.

"It sure will. I'm not eager to get back into that smoke and dust again though. I still wheeze when I breathe," Ahsoka nodded and rubbed her chest, which was still sore and ached from the constant breathing of polluted air. "Me too. Here we are," they walked through the guarded, ray-shielded doors and into the bright sunlight.

"Force knows how the sun can shine on these battles," Intrepid said as they leaned against the balcony, staring down at the clones below.

"The weather doesn't follow the rules of war," Ahsoka laughed as she brought her comm. link up to her lips. "Rex," she called. "Is everything ready?" she asked. The entire 501st had blended in with the 253th division, making for a huge clump of blue and lime chest plates.

"All set, commander," Rex answered. "Good. I'll be down in a moment," she said, hanging up. Intrepid smiled at her. "You know all of their names?"She asked. "Of course. Don't you?" Ahsoka asked. "Most of them, but I don't know every clones name. Many of them don't talk to me anyway," she said.

Ahsoka shrugged. "I don't really give them a choice. My master and I are constantly there, when their injured, when they want to talk, they know they can come to us," She said.

Intrepid nodded. "I like that," she said, returning her vision to the clones. She shielded her eyes. "I believe I'll try it," she said thoughtfully. Ahsoka grinned and nodded.

Suddenly, she heard Nava laughing. "See, I would have **_had_** to yell at him. Tell him what useless, brainless clods they all were," she laughed. Obi-wan, next to her, shook his head and sighed.

"That probably wouldn't have been very polite," Anakin agreed with a smile, though Ahsoka could tell it was strained. Something was bothering him. She exchanged a glance with Obi-wan, and saw the same suspicion in his eye. He merely shrugged helplessly. "And?" Nava snickered.

The three adults stopped in front of the padawans. "Ahsoka," Anakin said. "Is everything ready with Rex?" He asked. Ahsoka nodded. "Yes, master," he crossed his arms. "Good. You all had better not lose this time," he teased, some of the old light returning to his deep cobalt eyes. Ahsoka copied his gesture.

"We won't, Anakin," Obi-wan assured him. "Try not to get captured by Count Dooku. I'd hate to have to save you at the last battle," Ahsoka countered in retaliation. "This is the biggest moment of our lives you know. The universe will remember this," she teased. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"I'll blow up the base before I get captured," he snorted. "And that is precisely what **I'm** worried about," Obi-wan groaned. Anakin put an elbow on his shoulder. "Relax, old man, I'll be back before you know it. Force, between you and Ahsoka I have plenty of people nagging me," he said.

Obi-wan glanced at him. "You would be lost without our nagging, my **very **young friend," he pointed out. "Would not," Anakin argued. Ahsoka cut in before the two could start again.

Despite the fact that Anakin and Obi-wan were one of the greatest Jedi teams in the Order, they were complete opposites. Night and day. Whenever they were not arguing, they were teasing each other.

"Anyway," she said quickly. "I worry mostly because we all know you don't fare well without your padawan. Sure I can't come along?" If forfeiting her celebration party meant keeping him alive, she would do it.

"No, Snips," Anakin replied with a gentle smile at her. "I should be fine, even without you at my back," he said crossing his arms.

"Besides, I'm The Chosen One, what could go wrong?" Ahsoka put her hands on her hips and cocked a white eyebrow. Obi-wan crossed his arms and eyed him curiously. Nava snorted and Intrepid cocked her head.

"Um… Master?" Ahsoka volunteered. "You do know that the Chosen One thing you try to pull off? It doesn't really help us," she pointed out as gently as she could. Anakin ran a stressed hand through his long hair; he shrugged. "Oh. Well, then I don't know what to tell you," he said plainly.

They all burst into laughter.

Anakin rolled his eyes again, though he was smiling. "You all are traitors anyhow," he said huffily. "I oughta dump each of you over the edge," he retorted. "We're Jedi little Ani," Nava said, pinching his cheek. "We'd land on our feet," she pointed out.

"Whatever," Anakin sighed waving his hand indifferently and swatting at the fingers pinching his cheeks. Obi-wan put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be fine, Anakin. You just make sure not to blow yourself up. The war isn't over yet," he said lightly. Anakin nodded. Ahsoka felt a pang of worry suddenly.

The dark side, which had hung over the Jedi since landing on planet, was growing in her heart. Would her master come back?

He had too.

She would miss him too much, no matter how much he irritated the living force out of her. She glanced at the faces of Intrepid and Nava, and saw the same worry.

Anakin nodded somberly. "I sense it too," he agreed. "But no one start worrying yet. After all, I haven't gone and died so far," another way of saying that they should keep their minds in the here and now. It was such a hard lesson to learn. Ahsoka nodded as Artoo beeped through Anakin's comm. link. He was ready to go.

Anakin put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "Be careful, Snips, alright?" She nodded her promise. "Aren't I always?" He gave her a look that said _'are you joking me?_' "Never mind, may the force be with you, master," she replied. He smiled. "May the force be with us all," Nava sighed. The dark side grew.

* * *

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Looks as if they were the first to attack this time," The Chancellor said as the eruptions of battle ensued. Padme gave him a quizzical glance as he walked in. He read her look _"has Anakin already gone out?"_ he nodded and she returned to staring out of the window, her expression emotionless.

"I honestly hope his plan works," Mace said softly as Obi-wan joined his side. He did not name whose plan he hoped worked. Obi-wan nodded, but said nothing as he eyed the plans. He had memorized those as well. Below, dust started to flare up again as bombs were dropped.

Suddenly, from the hangar, a starfighter, followed by two dozen clone fighters rocketed from the hangar and into the sky. The Chancellor frowned and turned to the council.

"I assume that's where young Skywalker went?" he asked. Obi-wan was surprised, how did he know that was Anakin's starfighter? Well, there was the color, and just the fact that the man liked to do insane dives and tricks. He was the entire reason Obi-wan that hated flying. Master Yoda nodded wordlessly.

The Chancellor tightened his lips. "I would have appreciated it if someone had conferred with me on this matter," he said slowly but tersely.

"It was none of you concern, Chancellor," Obi-wan spoke up, just as calmly. "General Skywalker volunteered himself. The other Jedi are to remain here," he said. The Chancellor met his gaze thoughtfully; Obi-wan returned the gesture.

"I see," then he turned back to the windows. The other masters glanced at each other, their gazes calm but irked. The chancellor, once again, was trying to state his position of power too forcefully.

They knew who he was, and yet he still gave them orders as if they were the Republic's personal guards. They were volunteers, keepers of the peace, not guard dogs.

Obi-wan sighed and looked out of the dust-covered window. _May the force be with you, my friend. Be safe,_ he thought.


	14. Chapter 14

~Anakin's POV~

"Gold squadron, line up behind me. The base is just ahead," Anakin ordered. The clones all turned to line up in formation behind his starfighter obediently. "Artoo, have they detected us?" he asked. Artoo beeped and whistled once, his signal for no.

"Good, here we go," Anakin said, the excitement of battle rushing through his blood again. This time, though, tinged inside of it was wariness. There would be no failing this mission. He had promised several different people that he was coming back. He would not break that promise now, of times.

Especially not now, just after his dream that had seemed too much like a premonition. Just like the one he had had before his mother had died. Only… It was about Padme, dying in childbirth. Anakin gulped and shook his head, no time to dwell on **_those _**thoughts.

The Separatist base was ahead, it was a large square base behind a barricade. Six guard towers rose into the air from the square below. Built into the towers were torrents, but were empty with lack of droids.

The unease that the dark side was building within him was growing the closer he approached the compound. He pushed it down and angled his starfighter down.

The Separatist base was just ahead, within clear sight. Anakin flicked a few switches and did a low dive. "Remember, Artoo, you have to keep them occupied. Make sure they still think I'm inside of the starfighter," he instructed.

Artoo beeped in agreement. He would not fail his side of the mission. Anakin hoped he could do the same. _I will, _he thought stubbornly_. I will not let them down again. I will not. _He had to redeem himself; he had to make sure all of the lives he had wasted had not gone in vain. He had too.

With that, his fighter rushed above the Separatists base, Anakin shot at the empty towers. "Come on, boys," he called. "Let's make sure they know we're here," he laughed. This was his type of fighting. This was another type of pod racing, the sport that had freed him from slavery.

His starfighter dove and shot at the different towers, the clone fighters right behind him. Artoo whirred a warning as droid fighters exploded from the ground-landing platform towards them.

It was time for him to get started. Anakin nodded. "Right. Good luck, buddy," he said as he lowered his starfighter to the landing yard.

It stopped a few feet from the ground, and with a quick glance around for droids, Anakin jumped to the ground. Artoo wasted no time in zooming away.

In the second it took for the starfighter to do so, Anakin leapt to take cover behind a wall. He had already hidden his force signature, in case Dooku had enough sense to look for it, so that meant limited force sense. Wonderful. With a sigh, Anakin scanned the courtyard for cameras.

There, four of them between him and the door. Anakin smiled and gently moved the cameras to the side with the force. Then, with feet light from war, he slipped between the space that separated him from the door as the cameras re-adjusted themselves. A simple wind could have blown them off course.

Smashing himself against the ray-shielded door, he glanced over his shoulder at the empty hallway beyond. He only needed to plant one bomb in the middle of the compound. First, he had to get there.

Artoo screamed as two more fighters joined the fight. Anakin squinted up at them; they looked almost identical to Jedi starfighters, but…. They were almost circular in shape, instead of the Jedi's triangle.

What in the universe? Anakin shook his head; he did not have time to wonder about mysterious new Separatist ships. He turned to the dashboard and studied its buttons. With a sly smile, he simply rammed his lightsaber into the coordinate set. The doors slid open.

_ "Anakin, you're going to get us caught, that completely lacked any subtlety whatsoever,"_ he could almost **_hear_** Obi-wan next to him, lecturing. He chuckled as he slipped in.

Inside, red sirens were buzzing loudly, echoing in the cold durasteel halls. Anakin looked around, no cameras on the inside, a mistake the Separatists would regret. He smiled and pushed the holo-gram mode on his comm. link.

"Now," he muttered as he studied the map. "Where am I going?" His eyes roamed the blueprints of the base, looking for a way to the middle of the base, which was… Blast!

It was the communication's room. He was bound to run into Dooku there. Anakin gritted his teeth, how was he supposed to get in there without being caught and killed?

Before he could contemplate the answer, though, he heard light footsteps. Soundlessly, he ran down the hall and vaulted behind a corner. "Why didn't Master Sidious warn us that the Jedi were going to attack this way?" A feminine voice hissed as they walked down the hall towards the door.

"I don't know, but whoever this Jedi is, he will not last much longer," another answered almost boredily. Anakin felt his eyebrows scrunch together . That was not Dooku speaking, and the woman was not Ventress, and neither were droids. He poked his head around to see a man and woman.

The woman was humanoid, sort of. Her skin was crimson red, with long silver hair running down her back. She wore an exaggerated red skirt and black shirt that covered basically zero of her body. The man was… Odd. His skin was milky grey, and his lightsabers were bigger than most.

Their force signatures reeked of the dark side.

Anakin inhaled sharply and pressed his back against the wall again. Sith? Dooku had sith here? How? "Lord Tyrannus said he would be contacting Darth Sidious later, to see what this is about," they came upon the open door. _Sidious,_ the name rung in Anakin's mind. Where had he heard it?

"Blasted droids! They left the door open," the woman growled irritably. "No," the man said slowly. "Look, there is a lightsaber mark here. This door was forced open," he concluded.

Anakin gulped and looked down at his map. Was there another way there? Yes, the hallway he was hiding in led to the communications room. Not bothering to listen to the rest of their conversation, Anakin raced to his destination.

* * *

hmm, mysterious Sith in the Seperatist Base. And I seem to recall some chapters ago Dooku said that _**both**_armies were ready to wage war against the Jedi. Wonder what Sidious has up his sleeve.

~Queen Yoda


	15. Riding bombers

~Ahsoka's POV~

"Commander, look out!" Rex yelled. Ahsoka and Intrepid ducked away from the bomb that would have obliterated them. The ground they had been on a second ago exploded with dirt. Dead bodies littered the crater.

"This is doing us no good," Intrepid huffed. Ahsoka didn't answer, but agreed with her friend anyway. The bombs were falling at such a fast pace that the fighters above and the fighters below commonly had nothing they could do about it, despite their valiant efforts.

"We have to get those bombers out of the sky!" She called to Intrepid, who was blocking bolts. "I agree," the other apprentice gasped. She leapt and pushed Ahsoka out of the way of a stray bolt.

Quickly, Ahsoka went back to her task of deflecting blaster bolts and protecting fallen clones. She cast Intrepid a grateful glance. Forget about her master getting killed, she was about to.

"What do you propose?" Intrepid was never one to gloat, unlike Ahsoka. "I don't have a clue, but there must be **_some _**way," Ahsoka replied. Another clone dropped dead at her feet.

Ahsoka felt a ball of fury curl in her chest. This couldn't go on, not for another three days again.

At the rate clones were dying and how many less Jedi they had then before, it was a miracle they had lasted this long at all. _If something isn't done, we will lose this battle, we will lose this __**war**__. Everything will have been for nothing. _Ahsoka gritted her teeth. Determination sprouted in her chest. She would die before they lost this war.

She looked up, her two sabers doing her work for her. The fighters raced past at incredible speeds, mere blurs to the naked eye.

Ahsoka was a Jedi, and more importantly, her species were descendants of night predators. She had better vision that most. If she used the force and her predatory instincts at the same time, her eyes were not naked.

She used the force to push a row of droids down, creating an empty space around herself."Fives!" She called to one of her men. Fives glanced at her from under his helmet.

"Get some men here, surround me. I have an idea," Fives nodded and she heard the muffled sound of him speaking through the ear-piece. He had long learned that if the commander or general had a plan, it would require complete cooperation to work.

Ahsoka looked up at the sky again, her eyes zooming in on the fighters. Slowly, their blurred forms slowed, until she could almost see every inch of it unhurriedly flying by. It was as if time had reduced its pace for her.

"Ahsoka!" Intrepid called, breaking her concentration. She ran over as the clones created a ring of blasters around them. "What have you got?" She asked.

Ahsoka looked back down at her, and found that her head spun from the deep concentration. "A plan," it probably wasn't the best plan and they were probably going to die while they were at it, but Intrepid already knew that. Maybe.

"I sort of figured. Tell me," Intrepid agreed. "We can use the force to propel ourselves unto those bombers, one at a time, and destroy them from the sky," she explained quickly. Intrepid scowled.

"You do realize we have fighters doing that for us, right?" she asked skeptically. "Yes, but they aren't getting the job done fast enough, now are they?" Intrepid's lips pressed themselves together thoughtfully and she looked up.

Ahsoka did not wait for her to come to a decision; she deactivated her sabers and eyed the sky. Several bombers flashed past her vision, going slower than in real life. "Are you coming?" She asked, bending her knees and gathering the force. Intrepid glanced at her.

"Heck yah I'm coming," she said. "Lead the way," Ahsoka grinned. Intrepid squinted against the smoke and dust and gathered the force as well.

Their force signatures blended; strength and agility mixed with maturity and determination. Their power grew. _Come on, just a bit more, _Ahsoka thought.

A fighter flashed past their position, and with perfect timing, both girls sprang to their target. Approximately five seconds after, they were hanging on for dear life to a vulture droid, both pairs of Lekku flying behind them.

Ahsoka took out her lightsaber and slashed at the engine. Intrepid did likewise. The droid let out a frightened squeak before starting to plummet to the ground.

She looked around, only to see Intrepid already gathering the force. She copied, and followed her partner to the next bomber.

* * *

~Padme's POV~

"What are they doing?" Padme barely heard the question, and didn't exactly register who had asked it as she gawked out of the wide windows ahead.

In front of them, about seven feet away, merely, one of Padme's closest friends was hanging on for precious life to a droid bomber.

Her green lightsaber flashed as she violently stabbed the machine in the engine. Just as it was starting to fall, she jumped off it and miraculously landed on another fighter.

Padme had known Ahsoka for four years, as long as she had been apprenticed to her husband, and despite Ahsoka's young age, Padme found that she could talk to Ahsoka about anything. She was incredibly understanding. Reminding Padme more of Obi-wan, than Anakin.

Nevertheless, Padme had rarely seen Ahsoka in action. When she had, she had never seen anything like this. She found that she was not that surprised, pleased and incredibly proud, but unsurprised.

"An impressive strategy," Master Shaak Ti said calmly. Padme blinked a few times, wondering what Anakin had taught his apprentice. Or, even if Anakin had been the teacher to this girl, or if war had.

She didn't know whether to be worried or anxious for their un-born child. Suddenly, she saw a fighter whoosh past the windows, chased by a flock of clone fighters and barraged by two more Jedi.

"The strategy has caught on," Obi-wan observed. He had an odd habit of pointing out the obvious.

Padme smiled, and wondered how in the universe she was going to explain this to Anakin. _You had better not get hurt again, Ahsoka _she thought. _You gave me a big enough heart attack last time, Ani too. _

Her thought went unheard; however, as more Jedi joined the fight against the bombers as the clones handled the droids below. "Without those bombers, we're gaining the advantage," Master Windu marveled, His normally stern tone was slightly amused.

"We might actually win this battle. Now we only need Skywalker to destroy that base," Master Fisto pointed out. Yoda let out a small chuckle. "Good feeling about this plan, I have," he said. The other Jedi nodded and Padme felt a burst of happiness.

The war could be over. The **_Clone War_** could be over. No more fighting, no more blood-shed, no more war. The dream of peace was close at hand. Her child would not grow up in war, just as Anakin had said.


	16. Chapter 16

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin, once again, risked a look around the corner. As every other hall beforehand had been, this one was empty of life.

Anakin was not comforted. He had traveled throughout the base, ducking and weaving in halls according to his map.

He had encountered twenty-seven Sith in those halls. None of them, thankfully, had noticed him-they had all been going to the battle Artoo and the clones were waging-but his unease did not lessen.

Now he knew why the dark side had hung over the Jedi even at the palace. There were more Sith than Jedi. The dark side was so thick around him, every step was like trying to plunge himself through mud. Sweat slicked his forehead as the dark side whispered things to him, enticing him, tempting him, challenging his ways.

Placing his hand defensively on his lightsaber, Anakin crept forward. There was the door that led to the communication room; he only needed to put the bomb on the door. It would be enough.

Anakin quickly walked up to the closed durasteel doors. Never taking his eyes from the halls, his hand dug into the many pouches on his belt. The bomb was there somewhere.

Suddenly, the door started to open. Anakin dove back to his corner. _Blast it!_ He thought in frustration as two Sith walked out. _I was so close!_ Both thugs jogged down the opposite hall.

"My master," Dooku's voice rang out as the doors closed again. Anakin scurried back to the door, and then scowled. "Master?" He echoed. Had he heard Dooku correctly? Dooku had a master?

His mind flashed back to what the two Sith had said. _"Lord Tyrannus said he would be contacting Darth Sidious later, to see what this is about."_ Darth Sidious, hadn't Dooku said something to Obi-wan about him? _Only one way to find out._

Anakin gulped, he was well aware that he could be compromising the mission and giving his life in the process. But some things were worth the risk.

He skillfully took out the bomb and plated it firmly on the wall next to the door. He felt for the remote in a different pouch and held it in his sweaty hand.

_ Why destroy the base?_ The dark side whispered to him. _What do the Jedi mean to you? They manipulate you, they do not trust you, they are weakening, you see it every day. Why not join the side that can keep you and your family safe? That can save Padme? Instead of banning it? _He clenched his teeth and ignored the voices.

He looked down at his mechanical hand, which was stronger by far than any other limb he could possess. Dooku had taken his real arm. He deserved to die, but the Jedi also deserved a warning.

With a grunt of effort, Anakin used his mechanical hand to slowly slide the door open just enough so that he could hear, and yet no one would notice the crack without close inspection.

"…..Slight set back," a gnarled, raspy voice was saying. It sounded… Familiar. "Slight? Master, I sense something else is amiss here, something is not right," Dooku replied.

Anakin put his eye to the door, and had to swallow a gasp when he saw Count Dooku **_kneeling_** before a holo-graphic image. Who**_ was_** this man?

"I sense it too. The Jedi have refused to answer my questions about the plan. Due to that insolent youngling of Skywalker's, our troops are falling back," Anakin grinned, he had no clue what Ahsoka had done, but he had to remember to congratulate her for it.

"What do you propose we do?" Dooku asked. "Call back your remaining troops, Darth Tyrannous. We will switch to the other plan," he ordered. Dooku nodded. "What about Skywalker?" He further asked. Anakin saw a smile curl the lips of the Sith.

"Not to worry. Let him do as he wishes. Turning him to the dark Side is a process I am quite confident will not take too much more of our time. He will be ours soon enough," Anakin catapulted himself backwards with shock. His back slammed against the wall.

The door clashed shut with a pang. "The Dark Side?" he wondered out-loud, and then covered his mouth with a hand.

_ Idiot,_ he thought ironically. _You force blasted __**idiot**__, you said it out-loud_. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to leave this place of darkness; he did not want anything more than to get away from that voice.

Turning him to the Dark Side? Horror engulfed him as the dark voices continued with their whispering. He turned, about to run, when the door opened.

And in plain view, staring at him, was Count Dooku.


	17. Chapter 17

~Obi-wan's POV~

"The droids are falling back, master!" Luminara reported, her voice exhausted yet excited through the comm. link. "Should we pursue?" she asked. "No," rasped Yoda from the ground.

"Pursue them, we should not. Let them retreat, we should, let the cruisers track them we will," Obi-wan frowned. The enemy was retreating and yet he wanted to stay put?

"Master Yoda," Mace began, also looking confused. "I don't understand; we need to make sure the enemy will not return, to destroy all of them now. And what about the base? We need to capture that as well, along with Count Dooku and Grievous," he pointed out.

Yoda blinked, his large eyes blank with oblivion. "Destroying that same base, Skywalker is, hmm?" he wondered. Obi-wan looked away; glad he had not said anything.

That was why Master Yoda did not want anyone following the droids. The cruisers would send down fighters to destroy them when they came upon the destroyed ruins of the base. Then they would be obliterated. No use in wasting more lives when they could just be patient.

"I see," Master Windu agreed coolly. Obi-wan smiled and folded his hands behind his back, the war was at a close end. They were so **_close_**. Yet, his stomach churned with anxiety. Where was Anakin? Hadn't he already blown up the base? If so, then why wasn't he back yet? What was he **_doing_**?

_Come on, Anakin, please do not make me regret trusting you_, he hoped.

* * *

Sorry, Obi-wan, you are going to regret it.


	18. Chapter 18

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin didn't waste time with introductions. "Sorry to leave so suddenly, Count," he said, throwing out an arm. He pushed Dooku back with the force. "But I've got a war to win!" He turned, about to make his escape when he remembered the comm. link.

_Its sitting right there, Anakin. The secret to who is Dooku's master. The Jedi __**need **__that._ He glanced over his tense shoulder. Taking that disk meant potentially giving Dooku enough time to engage him. Time that Anakin didn't have.

_ "Remember what I taught you: follow your instincts," _Obi-wan's voice echoed in his head. Anakin hated it when that happened.

"Uh… What is the matter with me?" he groaned. He used the force to swipe the comm. link from the table. The little machine flew past Dooku's ear as he jumped up.

Anakin's force signature flooded the compound strongly. "**_Young _**Master Skywalker, I find it hard to believe the council would let you venture this far without help. Tell me, where is Master Kenobi hiding?" Anakin couldn't help but grin.

Even to their enemies, Anakin and Obi-wan were a package, a team, partners. Where one went, the other was. It was half a compliment and half an insult. He did not need Obi-wan to get something done. Obi-wan just made sure it was finished faster.

"Sorry, Count, but it's only us today. Obi-wan had some senators to baby-sit," he said, pocketing the comm. link and igniting his saber.

The fight was inevitable now. "Really? Well, I offer you my condolences," Dooku stated igniting his own saber. He stood there, his golden eyes burning into Anakin's with malice.

"Why? Sorry to tell you this, Dooku, but you're not exactly much of a challenge," Anakin growled. Dooku only smirked and waved his lightsaber in a lazy circle. "We'll see," he purred.

_I don't have time for this_, Anakin thought anxiously. He attacked. The two sabers spun in a dancing array of red and blue as they parried and attacked. Anakin backing towards the hall.

_ What am I supposed to do? _He wondered frustratingly. Artoo probably expected he would be well past back by this time.

He had to either win the fight, activate the bomb with himself still in the base or…. Or run. Force, he **_hated _**running. He had always hated running.

Even as a slave on Tatooine, he had not run from the hand that had come down to hit him, he had curled himself into a ball there, shivering and crying for his mother, who was usually standing on the sidelines weeping and begging, but he had never run.

Running away was for cowards, it was what Grievous had done on multiple occasions. _Yet Grievous is still alive, _he reminded himself. He sighed heavily, Obi-wan would probably be very pleased by this display of humility and wisdom, but he was running. Away from Dooku. By the kriffing force, he**_ hated_** this plan.

Anakin began to back away from the count, rounding the corner.

"Why exactly are you here, young Skywalker?" Dooku asked, huffing with strain as he parried Anakin's quick attacks. Sweat was starting to run down both faces.

"For that," he said, pointing at the bomb. Expectantly, Dooku didn't turn around, forcing Anakin to whip out his remote. Dooku stopped mid-swing. Anakin kicked him in the gut and turned, about to take off down the hall.

"Blast you, Obi-wan; you had better be proud of me because I loathe this idea!" He growled. Then, burning into every fiber of his skin was sizzling force lightning. Anakin cried out in agony and fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the ferocious assault ceased.

"A bomb? Notable plan," Dooku said, walking around him leisurely. Anakin watched him from the corner of his eyes furiously. "I didn't expect such an idea from the Jedi council, but nonetheless, it was impressive, too bad it has failed," Anakin clenched his teeth and started to stand.

Only to get shocked again with another merciless bolt which sent him to the ground, barely conscious.

"The war isn't over yet, Skywalker," Dooku continued, using the force to grab Anakin's lightsaber, which he had dropped. "And when I am finished with your…. Enlightenment, a new chapter will begin. The Orders' own _Chosen One,_ a **_Sith_**," a shiver of horror went up Anakin's spine. He, a Sith? Like Dooku?

"I would… Die… Before I ever joined… You, Count," he gasped out. Dooku only chuckled softly. "We will see. I have some new torture techniques, designed especially for you," Anakin glanced up and rubbed a thumb over the remote. It had not left his hand. He could take torture; he did not care. What he couldn't take was guilt, was anguish, was fear.

If he didn't blow up the base…. No, he could not fail again. He wouldn't fail a second time.

All of the Jedi and clones who had perished because of his own insecurity was unforgivable. Unforgivable for anyone except for Obi-wan, and Ahsoka, and Padme and the Chancellor. His family. They had never been angry with him. **_They_** had never blamed him.

_I talked Obi-wan into this, I told him he could trust me. I will not betray his trust again,_ he vowed. _"I'll come back to you __**both**__. I promise you"_ the oath he had given to Padme rang in his mind. His heart gave a pang. She needed him to help her through birth, in his dream he had not been there. Was this why?

"_I agree. But Ani, the baby also needs its father"_ force, it did. _"My child will __**not **__grow up in war,"_ and yet that was what mattered most.

He couldn't let his child grow up living with war. He would not. Ahsoka had grown up in war, every day could be her last, she fought for things that were beyond her young knowledge. Force, so did he.

He gulped and slid his thumb over to the red button. He would destroy this base. He would kill this Sith. Kriff, he would **_end_** this war. He closed his eyes, feeling hot tears behind them.

He would leave each promise he had made unfulfilled, but duty was duty. He was **The Chosen One**. This was his destiny. Death was what he had been born for.

He pushed the button and his own voice rang in his mind before he was rewarded with precious unconsciousness. _"I know, I know, I won't do anything unintelligent, irresponsible or impulsive, I promise master."_ The world went dark.

* * *

Bum, bum, bum! Cliff hangar! Anakin has an odd way of fulfilling his promises. He's a brave Jedi. An honorable one. But death does not follow teh rules of honor.

~Queen Yoda


	19. Chapter 19

~Ahsoka's POV~

"By the force, I am tired! And dizzy as kriff!" Intrepid laughed as her legs wobbled faintly. Ahsoka smiled and then struggled to control her fading balance.

They had just landed on the ground, amongst cheering, overjoyed clones from the fight in the sky. Ahsoka's eyes ached and her head stung with a sharp headache. Yet her heart soared with triumph. The droids had retreated and the cruisers had followed them.

She looked down at the crowds of jubilant clones below. They had landed on the battlements, along with most of the other Jedi who had hurdled unto a bomber and taken it down. They all were congratulating each other, shaking hands, and laughing good-naturedly.

If everything had gone according to plan, then the war was over.

Ahsoka laughed at the thought; her heart was near to bursting with happiness.

Intrepid grabbed her arm in order to keep her balance. Ahsoka laughed again and caught her, the two of them leaning against the rail.

"Well, wasn't that fun?" Intrepid continued flippantly. Ahsoka smiled. "Sure was. I couldn't have asked for a better partner," Intrepid straightened herself out.

"Likewise. Do you think he did it?" _Anakin?_ Ahsoka laughed a third time. She had not laughed so much since the war began. "If I know my master," she looked up at the sky. "Then by the force, this war is over," she reported confidently.

"Intrepid! Ahsoka!" a voice called. Ahsoka looked over the heads of clones and Jedi to see Nava dragging Obi-wan through the crowd towards them. Ahsoka grinned and waved.

"Master!" Intrepid called, also waving. "We won!" Nava seemed to agree as she grabbed Intrepid in a tight hug. Obi-wan walked up, much more calmly, and gave her a warm grin.

He looked happier than she had ever seen him, but there was a secret undercurrent of worry under his excitement. Ahsoka cocked a white eyebrow at him questioningly.

He only waved his hand dismissively and put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry," he said softly. Ahsoka eyed him sternly. Obi-wan was like an older brother to her, always there with comfort or advice.

"Whose idea was it to ride bombers? I'm still dizzy!" Nava asked when she and her apprentice had separated. "Ahsoka's," Intrepid answered.

Ahsoka shrugged. "It was nothing," she said. "Untrue," Obi-wan squeezed her shoulder. "Without your idea, Ahsoka, we may not have won this battle. Anakin has taught you well. He'll be proud," he told her.

Ahsoka felt her heart further stretch in joy. "As soon as he gets here, that is! Why is always late to these things?" she laughed. The pinprick of worry in Obi-wan's eyes returned.

"I don't know, but here he comes," Nava said, pointing to the sky. A starfighter, followed by five other fighters sailed from the base and back to the hangar bay as the clones waved and cheered.

Ahsoka scowled, she did not sense Anakin in his fighter.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Let's go!" Nava said, strutting ahead. Intrepid looked at Ahsoka worriedly, un-fooled. "Ahsoka? What is it?" She asked.

Ahsoka shook her head and looked at Obi-wan, seeing the same anxiety on his face. "Obi?" Nava asked. "Come," Obi-wan ordered, he ran, Ahsoka, Intrepid and Nava on his heels, to the hangar bay.

Inside, Anakin's Starfighter was empty except for Artoo, beeping and squealing in his pit. The clones all unloaded silently. Their anguish was apparent in the force.

"Artoo!" Ahsoka called. She looked around the maze of ships desperately, as if Anakin were hiding somewhere.

Artoo popped out of his droid's seat, screaming with panic. He raced over to Ahsoka, bumping into her knee.

Ahsoka knelt in front of him, taking him by the tops of the wheels. "Artoo? What is it? Where's Anakin?" She asked. Her heart hammered in her chest, filled with anxiety now instead of happiness.

She felt three pairs of Jedi eyes burning into her as Artoo let out a string of beeps, whistles and toots.

In essence, it meant; _The base exploded before he came out. Many new ships with live beings escaped, including Grievous and Dooku. He never came out. I did not pick up any life forms in the rubble. I'm worried. _Ahsoka leaned back on her heels, absorbing the news.

"What did he say?" Obi-wan asked, his calm voice doing little to comfort her this time. "He said that the base exploded before Anakin came out. Dooku and Grievous escaped, along with some fighters with unknown life forms in them. Artoo….. He didn't sense any life forms in the wreckage," Intrepid inhaled sharply and Nava's eyes darkened. Obi-wan stroked his chin, his face expressionless.

Ahsoka could feel him searching the force. "That means…" Nava trailed off. "No," Obi-wan said, his voice letting a bit of his emotions through.

He sounded relieved. "Anakin is alive. I can feel it," Ahsoka quickly checked their bond, and discovered Obi-wan was right. Anakin was still a glowing beacon of light in the force.

He was alive.

She let out a sigh of relief with Artoo. "Great, what are we going to do?" Intrepid asked. "The senate already warned the council that if something should happen, they are not to send help," she pointed out.

Ahsoka's heart sunk, that was true. Obi-wan shook his head. "We will not worry about it now," he said resolutely.

"Anakin is alive, that is all that matters. He can hold on. I will speak to the council about it," he said. Nava nodded in firm agreement.

"Obi-wan is right. Worrying about it will do us no good. Come, we also have to tell the council that the war isn't actually over," she sighed. "We still have Count Dooku and General Grievous to capture," she said sadly. The happiness in Ahsoka's heart withered, the war was not over. Not yet.

"Right," she chirped, struggling to put on an optimistic appearance. "Well, since we weren't doing anything anyway," She said gesturing to the outside. "Might as well go burst everyone's bubble," she suggested.

Intrepid grinned and Nava laughed. "Nicely said, let's march," with that the two went ahead. Ahsoka was about to follow when Obi-wan grabbed her arm.

"Ahsoka, I need a favor from you," he said. Ahsoka partly turned to see his azure eyes, similar to hers, burrowing into her own.

"Normally, I would never ask this of you, but since someone needs to speak with the council…" She nodded. "I understand, what can I do, master?" she needed to feel like she was doing**_ something_**. "Someone needs to tell Padme," Ahsoka gulped but nodded, she deserved to know.

"Yes, Master. I'll do it," he smiled and squeezed her arm before following Nava and Intrepid.

Ahsoka sighed and beckoned to Artoo. "Come on, Artoo, we're going to see Padme" she said. Artoo let out a long, worried whir.


	20. Chapter 20

_**The next day:**_

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin woke up with no small amount of surprise. He was alive.

He blinked several times, wondering, firstly, **_how_** he was live, and secondly, how long could he **_stay_** alive.

He received his first question first. When he had blown up the compound, since he had been lying down in the middle of two walls, they had both collapsed at the same time and collided, thus enclosing him in a rather large, hollow triangle uninjured. His luck was incredible.

The second question came when he used the force (it being pitch dark in the triangle) to poke at his environment. The walls were slowly crumbling downwards under the weight of the rest of the compound.

Soon, they would fall. Right on top of him. Anakin sighed and carefully sat up. Quickly, he checked his tunic, where was…. Yes! The comm. link! It was still in his possession. The Jedi needed that.

_ Well,_ he thought ironically. _At least I didn't break any promises yet_. He had to get out of there, but how? He pursed his lips and scanned the cave for any loose spots where he could carry away debris with the force. He found none.

He clenched his teeth. "There has to be a way out of here. There's always a way," he grumbled quietly. His hand strayed to something cold and circular next to him. His lightsaber. Anakin grinned and ignited it.

Blue light filled the cave. "That's better," he said out-loud. Obi-wan's dry, sarcastic voice made its way into his mind. _"Yes, well, if you don't manage to kill yourself in the making, it will be a grand day indeed."_ Anakin grinned; he hadn't gotten himself killed yet.

"You haven't gotten rid of me yet, master," he said, looking up. The cave was just large enough so that he could kneel. He sat up on his knees, feeling at the roof. He felt nothing noteworthy.

Anakin huffed. There had to be a way out. He had to get out. His child, his padawan and wife needed him.

He slowly ran a hand over his saber. "This weapon is your life," he mumbled fondly. "Yet, it can't get me out," he leaned his head against the cool durasteel walls, thinking.

"Only question is, how am I supposed to get **_myself_** out?" He glanced up and gathered the force, slowly. It surrounded him with the dark side. Anakin pushed it away again.

Too late.

_Look_ _at what the loyalty to the Jedi has done to you, Anakin! Stuck in a cave with no way out. What will Padme think when she hears about your death? How will she explain it to your baby every night?_ Anakin clenched his teeth, and went back to studying the walls to distract himself.

_ You were never a good Jedi anyhow; you have betrayed the code so many times. Hurt so many people. Because the code is so easy to disobey. Why not take the easier path? Not everything is all riddles and deception, you can be happier. You can be free._

Anakin froze. "I am free," he said aloud again. _Are you? Are you free to love, to fight as you wish? Are you free of pressure, of guilt? Are you truly free, Anakin? Or are you still a slave?_

"I fight for what I believe in, that is ultimate freedom" he spat defiantly. He would not be swayed to the dark side, not by something that was not physically there. _True, but don't the Sith do the same? They fight for what they believe in, it is merely a different point of view_. Anakin snorted.

"A horrible point of view," he corrected. _To the Jedi, perhaps. However, wasn't it the Jedi who took you away from your mother? In all of their compassion, they couldn't free her, only you, the Chosen one? You know she had a right to live, Anakin! You know it!_

He felt hot fury rise in his chest. "Qui-gon couldn't free her," he ground out. Why? He frowned; he had no clue why Qui-gon could not have saved his mother. Watto. True, he would not sell her or bargain with her, but could not Qui-gon have done something?**_ Anything_** for her?

_Every day, you could lose someone you love, and the Jedi would not even allow you to grieve for him or her. As your dream predicted, Amidala will die. You will not even be allowed to cry for your wife. You would get a lecture on attachments; _he let out a slow breath.

_ They don't understand love, Anakin, not like you do. They only see the dark side of it, they do not see the light. They are not light, you fight for the wrong side, Skywalker. _

Anakin shook his head, tears pricked at his eyes. It was true, if Obi-wan, Ahsoka or Padme died, he wouldn't be allowed to feel any sorrow. He would be scolded for it.

What council who claimed to be light would ban the creation of life? Life which he and his wife had created together?

He covered his ears; he would not listen to this. He could not. He would not turn into a Sith. _Remember what the Sith have done, Anakin, _he ordered himself.

_ What have we truly done, young one? We only react to Jedi interference. We only act in self-defense. _Anakin gritted his teeth.

"No," he ground out. "You're evil, horrible monsters," he sneered. _Are we? Who killed the sand people?_ A tear ran down his cheek. Anakin pressed his hands harder on his ears, but the voices continued, coming from his mind, his heart, shouting in his soul. "They deserved it," he whispered.

_Who ruined the battle plans? The Republic could have won, Anakin. The war could have been over,_ the old wound, filled with guilt, re-opened, squeezing his lungs until he was gasping for breath. Suddenly, he wished he were dead, anything to escape the voices. "I didn't mean too," he choked.

_ Do you think the dead Jedi and clones care about that? You are already dark, Anakin. The sith have seen it, it is why they tried to turn you to the dark side. They see it, why don't you?_ Another tear ran down his cheek. "Stop," he whispered.

_Does Obi-wan love you, Anakin? Does Ahsoka? Padme does, and you love her, yet she is in danger of dying every day your baby is in her womb. You have no control over her fate. Why not be with her, instead of with the people who are forbidden to love you? _

He started to shake, trembling with horror. He wanted out, force, he wanted out.

_ You are the Chosen one, Anakin, but from which prophecy? The Sith, or the Jedi's? _He gulped. "I…. I don't know," he gasped.

* * *

Well, I kept you in agony for close to a week, but I'm back now. Sorry, high school = lots of homework and no time for anything else. Anakin is alive, yes indeed. But will he still join the Dark Side after all? Can Obi-wan and the others get there in time to save him? Will the Jedi ever catch Dooku and Grievous? What about Padme and the baby? Check some of it out the next chapter!

~Queen Yoda


	21. Chapter 21

~Obi-wan's POV~

Obi-wan was known for his ability to come up with solutions quickly. He was a general, that and he was just naturally a quick thinker.

He had always been a quick thinker, always able to think ahead, to come up with solutions to a problem that had not even happened yet.

Yet, he was in turmoil over this problem. He had spoken with the council, yes, and Ahsoka likewise had spoken with Padme. _"She wasn't that surprised,"_ Ahsoka had reported once she had returned an hour ago.

_"When I told her that you were speaking to the council about it, she nodded and told me to tell her when we were going,"_ Padme was so sure they were going on another rescue mission.

She had no doubt Obi-wan would either convince the council or the council would permit it without having to be convinced.

He sighed, wishing that that had been the case. It had not. The senate had completely forbidden them to go on any type of rescue mission. It had been an order, not a request. There was nothing they could do without senate approval. Legally anyway.

He had reluctantly sent Ahsoka to deliver this news to Padme. He wished her luck.

Around the planet, Republic forces had been sent to find Dooku and Grievous. Even if there were any search ships left, they would be used for the frantic search.

Anakin had been gone for two days. Obi-wan could sense him in the force; he was still alive. But there was… There was something wrong. He was suffering, not physically, but mentally.

That made the decision all the harder to make now. He did not want to abandon Anakin, force he would do**_ anything_** to be able to go out there, but how?

He would have to steal a ship (what ship? There basically were none) and then go out on a wild hunt for Anakin (who could be on the brink of death in any case) and then come back and face the wrath of the council and senate.

The senate and councils wrath did not necessarily bother him; the universe knew he had taken wrath from them before. What worried him was the other two facts.

Obi-wan sighed and rubbed his forehead, which ached with a newly grown headache. What was he supposed to do? The answer was obvious in his heart, but he had always listened to his mind.

The mind was clear, filled with facts, not emotions. Anakin was the emotions part of the team. Team. They were a **_team_**, how could he leave the man he had raised behind to die?

Obi-wan picked up his cup, gingerly taking a sip of tea, which had long grown cold. He hardly noticed. All of a sudden, the doors opened and into the room walked Nava. "Obi-wan," she greeted, already crossing the room. She sat across from him, cross-legged.

"What did the council say?" She asked. Obi-wan sighed. "I believe you already know," he answered. Nava pursed her lips. "That isn't like them just to say no to a rescue. It isn't the Jedi way. What is the real problem?" yes, planning, tactics, finding a sensible solution, he could do that.

"The senate has utterly forbidden any sort of rescue," he sighed. "And what ships would we use? They're all taken up for the search," he added.

Nava scowled and put her chin in her hands, watching him with compassionate purple-blue eyes. "That isn't what has you so upset though?" she knew him too well. He blinked, wondering how-or even if-he should phrase this.

"I can't leave him," simply said. She nodded. "You raised him, he's like your son," she added, as if she had read his mind. He wondered if she had. Or perhaps she just knew him too well, even after all these years.

"I cannot help but think so," somehow he felt perfectly comfortable telling her as such. She pursed her lips and nodded.

"What I don't understand, perfection pet," she said slowly, the name being a tease. His heart fluttered when she called him that though. "Is why the council gets angry at the chancellor and the senate for ordering us around, but when they do, we do as they command," she said.

Obi-wan stared at her. They had never thought of that. Why, he could not fathom now, but she **_did _**have a point.

"I say we do as we please. We may serve the senate, but we serve it because we believe in democracy, in justice. If what they tell us to do is not justice, and we do it anyway, then aren't we just as corrupt? Aren't we helping the corruption in the senate?" Force, she was** right**.

It was so obvious that Obi-wan, for one of the first times since he had been knighted; felt like a complete imbecile. The Jedi did the senate's bidding; they had become soldiers for the Republic, instead of Keepers Of the Peace.

Incredible how much the dark side had clouded their vision.

"Your right," he said slowly. He straightened out, staring at her incredulously. She grinned at him. "We are keepers of the peace, Obi-wan, not soldiers," she reminded him. "Agree, I do," an old voice said.

Obi-wan looked up, and was taken aback to see Master Yoda in the doorway, leaning on his cane and staring at them with bright eyes_. _

_How long has he been there?_ he wondered. The old master had never ceased to amaze him. Or scare him, fully grown master or not. Not that no other Jedi felt the same.

"Been soldiers to the senate for too long, we have been. Left the Jedi way to pursue justice, we have," he shook his head ruefully. "But only fueling the evils of greed, we have been," Obi-wan stood.

"Master?" he asked cautiously. "Right, Nava is. Jedi we are, **_not_** guard dogs. A ship, secured for you the council has. Go to Skywalker, you must," Nava stood as well.

"But you hadn't heard any of this until now. Why did you get a vessel for us?" she asked. Yoda blinked at her, as if she had asked a very stupid question.

"A Jedi, Skywalker is. Unorthodox are his ways, but still one of us. Leave him; we were **_not_** going too. Go now, do not delay with questions," he instructed impatiently.

Obi-wan felt his heart jump with anticipation. This was why the Jedi were good, why he was so devoted to them, despite their quirks. They were purely and unquestionably, selflessly **_good_**.

"Right away, master," he promised. He looked at Nava, who was grinning in victory. "I hope you weren't planning on leaving me here, Master Kenobi," she said, turning to him with twinkling eyes. Obi-wan raised an eyebrow.

"You want to come? Don't you have things you have to do here?" he asked. "Nonsense. Of course Intrepid and I are coming. You'd never get anything done without us," Obi-wan snickered and shook his head. Despite her immodesty, she had a very good point.

"Alright then. You get the girls, I have someone else to find," meaning Padme. Nava nodded, and her eyes sparked with courage. "Let's get started then."

* * *

Okay, next chapter will be short, and then the one after that so funny. I wanted to put in a little of female hormones, and what better time than this? Don't you just love Nava?

~Queen Yoda


	22. Chapter 22

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin licked his parch lips again, breathing harder than he had before. The air was getting squeezed out as the walls slowly began to collapse towards him. The voices continued to wrack his mind and conscious.

Two days without water or food, that was not the hard part. He was a Jedi, used to living in inhospitable places. Even the dry, thin air did not bother him. It was the incessant voices. The dark side, which made old memories of death and despair ring in his head.

Sometimes Anakin wondered if he was going insane.

He countered those thoughts with thoughts of his family. It was the only thing keeping him sound. However, even their faces were starting to blur into the voices' whim. He had seen Ahsoka and Obi-wan die in horrible, **_despicable _**ways already.

Still, he kept Padme's beautiful smile out of the grasp of the dark side. If he did not then he would slowly sink into insanity. _Hold on,_ he told himself sternly. _They're coming. They are._

The voices countered with questions. Did he know that? Obi-wan had warned him that the senate would not let the Jedi come to his aid. He had warned him about the possibility.

"They're coming," he said again, more forcefully. He had to hang on to that hope. Anything to get out of the cave. He would be grateful even if **_Dooku _**found him in this rubble. At least then, it wouldn't be a rescue, because force knew Ahsoka would**_ not_** let him live a rescue like this down.

The thought made him smile. "They're coming," he repeated again.

* * *

Ah, poor Anakin!


	23. Chapter 23

~Padme's POV~

Padme hurriedly stuffed some object (she honestly did **_not_** know what she had been grabbing in the first place) into her burlap bag angrily. Threepio was standing turned off behind her.

She had grown tired of his voice after he had said; _"perhaps we should think this through…"_ he had received a good shoe in the gold face for**_ that_** comment.

Thinking, the blasted council and the blasted senate should've been thinking more often, then she wouldn't not be here, furiously about to embark on a nonsense journey.

Anakin had been gone for two whole days, and yet no one was going after him?

"After all he's done, after all the times he's risked his life for that stupid Order, and they turn their backs on him? They're all a load of hypocrites!" She growled. She grabbed another thing, by the feel of it, some kind of fabric, and rammed it into her bag.

The baby, which had grown into a small, hard lump in her stomach by now made her stomach gurgle. She had just eaten and yet it wanted more?

It's father was in danger! Why did it want her to stop every five seconds for some kriffing food? Blasted child was too much like it's father already. He had tainted it without even being there.

_ Father_, Padme felt tears prick at her eyes. Why had Anakin gone off and tried to save the Republic anyway?

He was going to be expelled as soon as they figured out the baby was his. Ignoring her stomach and grumbling again, she continued with her task of slamming things into her bag.

_ "He's still alive", _Ahsoka had said_. "We can feel it. We… we just need to figure out how we're going to get him," _Padme had seen the determination in Ahsoka's eyes. Despite living in war, she was strangely naïve when it came to the Jedi.

They were not going after was a menace to their blasted ways anyhow, despite his benevolence and compassion.

Ahsoka had not known that when she left though, content with the knowledge that Padme was not too upset. Padme was too very upset, and she intended to give every single one of those blasted boring old buzzards a piece of her mind the second she got back.

All of a sudden, the door to her office opened, and into the room walked the last- very kriffing **_last- _**person she wished to see.

Obi-wan.

Her face scrunched in fury. "What are you doing here?" she snapped. Obi-wan looked around her apartment with thinly disguised distaste; he knew her ultimate aversion to pink. They were close friends, after all.

When she spoke, he looked at her with a calm expression. "Where are you going?" He asked, seeing whatever else object she had in her hand.

"To find Anakin! Like **_you_** should be doing!" Padme replied, smashing the other object into her bag. "I see. Well, that's what…" Padme interrupted him, in no mood for his _Negotiator_ tactics.

"You know what I don't understand? How the Jedi can claim to be a team, to be an Order, when they leave their own behind," she harrumphed, still crossing the room to stuff things into her bag. "Padme…" Obi-wan began.

"I mean, so what if he's just a little…. Disobedient? He tries; you know he does, Obi-wan!" She continued. "Padme…"

"You all preach about being keepers of some blasted peace, and yet you can't even catch a half-droid maniac and one of your own former hypocrites! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She rammed a water bottle down into the bag three times to prove her point.

Obi-wan was watching her curiously. "Padme…" He tried again. "And **_you,_** Obi-wan! How can you just leave a man you raised and taught behind to die? A man who would give his life for you? That is not who you are!" She told him. "Padme…" she was**_ really_** sick of him saying her name.

"Would you not interrupt me? Go back to your palace, you blasted sorry son of a gravel maggot! You cannot negotiate life and death! You just can't do it, and…" The rest of her increasingly growing voice was silenced by Obi-wan, who took her by the shoulders firmly.

"**_Padme_**, we are going to go save Anakin, are you coming, or do you wish to stay here and yell at me?" He asked.

Padme blinked, wondering if she had heard that right. "What?" She gasped. **_"We are going to save Anakin_**, **_are you coming?"_** He repeated, his intense azure eyes slightly scaring her. He seemed as if he were searching her soul for answers.

"We are?" She asked again, stupidly. He smiled weakly. "Yes, Padme, we are. You know I'd never abandon Anakin, you said it yourself: it's not who I am," he agreed, much more calmly and gently than she had. Padme blinked a second time, dumbstruck.

"But… But the council; and the senate…" She stuttered. Obi-wan's smile grew. "The Jedi are not slaves to the senate. We do not abandon our own, however disobedient he may be," he assured her.

Padme stood there for a moment, paralyzed with shock. They were going to save Ani? Her heart swelled with joy, she should have known the Jedi were better than that! She should have **_known!_**

"Padme…" Obi-wan called again, shaking her a bit. "Yes!" Overwhelmed by joy, Padme threw her arms around Obi-wan, who stiffened, by no means used to physical contact.

"Thank you so much, Obi-wan! I should have known you better than that!" she cried joyfully. Obi-wan awkwardly patted her back. "Yes. Come along. Ahsoka already has the ship warmed up," at those words, Padme let go of him and sped out.

"Come on, then!" She called behind her.

* * *

Man, Padme sure did tell you off, Obi-wan. What did I say? she's carrying two force-sensitive twins here, her female hormones are exploding. And it happened to be very funny. Next chapter is Nava and Obi-wan...

~Queen Yoda


	24. Chapter 24

~Nava's POV~

"Are we ready, general?" Nava asked as Obi-wan walked up, followed by Senator Amidala of all people. "That depends; will the ship work this time?" Obi-wan asked, eyeing the ship with obvious exasperation.

"This is _The Twilight_?" The senator asked, apparently of the same opinion. "Evidently," Nava chuckled, patting the steel dome fondly. She was often fond of junk ships.

"We're all ready, master!" Ahsoka reported, coming out from under the ship. She wiped her greasy hands on a rag, having been below the ship tweaking wires.

"Force, they messed this thing up," Intrepid added also coming up from under the ship. She had read about fixing mechanics, but from her clean hands Nava could tell she hadn't done much, if anything at all.

"Ahsoka, why do you two keep this around?" Intrepid asked tiredly. Nava helped her second apprentice stand. Intrepid was nothing like Annex had been.

"This is the first ship we crashed in together, Intrepid," Ahsoka declared proudly. She stood and patted the dome. "This thing has sentimental value," she told them.

Intrepid wrinkled her nose. "Attachment is not the Jedi way, especially with **_this _**thing," she said. Nava laughed and patted her on the shoulder. Her padawan was strangely much like Obi-wan.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure, padawan," she pointed out. "No, Nava, this is trash," Obi-wan sighed, shaking his head. "It is merely trash which Anakin refuses to let go. Another loose wire," he said.

"Speaking of which, Artoo!" Ahsoka called. The little droid quickly raced up from under the ship and rolled into the cockpit happily.

"He comes in handy," Ahsoka explained. Senator Amidala grinned. "He does. Shall we?" She cast Nava and Intrepid a curious glance, which Nava returned with a smile.

She grinned back and walked into the ship with Ahsoka and Intrepid. "Here we go again, Ahsoka, ready to save the day?" Padme asked. "Of course. I can't wait to rub this in his face," Ahsoka agreed with a laugh.

Nava smiled and grabbed Obi-wan's arm as he was walking in. "A senator?" She asked softly. He glanced into the ship and then back at her, his eyes debating.

"Anakin is married," he told her in a whisper. Her eyes widened, though, having spoken and fought next to Anakin, she could not say she was very surprised. He was just like Qui-gon.

She looked over at Padme, who was speaking to Ahsoka good-naturedly. Her eyebrows rose, he was married to a Senator, at that? Dangerous, to say the least. Also impressive, that they had hidden it so well.

She looked up at Obi-wan, who nodded somberly. "Remarkable," she said simply. He sighed. "And dangerous. They're lucky," he said. She grinned. "I assume you've had a hand in their luck?" She wondered. He waved his hand dismissively.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," he said. Nava chuckled. "I'm sure. I don't care what they say, Obi-wan, perfect Jedi or not, you have a way of doing devious things without the council's knowledge," she told him. He grinned. "I haven't changed **_that _**much from our days as younglings," he agreed with a twinkle in his eyes.

Nava squeezed his arm, pride and delight running through her. "You're a good man, Obi-wan," she told him.

He smiled and looked down; no one had probably ever told him that and meant it as deeply as she did. Why, she could not fathom.

Finally, he waved her aboard. "Come, we mustn't keep Anakin waiting," he said. She nodded and followed him onto the ship.

* * *

Okay, a spoiler. Annex was the name of Nava's first apprentice. You'll hear more about him and Nava's master throughout the series. I'm almost done writing the third installment, how funny is that?

~Queen Yoda


	25. Chapter 25

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Obi-wan?" He glanced behind him at Padme as she walked over and sat at the co-pilot's seat, which Ahsoka had left to fix another malfunction with the blasted _Twilight_.

Being as she had to go under _The Twilight_ to achieve such a task, Intrepid and Nava had gone with her, tying a crude rope around her waist to make sure she didn't fall to her death.

Another normal rescue.

Padme sat in the chair, her expression serious. "I'm… Sorry for all of the things I said earlier, Obi-wan," she said softly.

Obi-wan chuckled. "Do not worry Padme. I found the entire conversation very amusing. I look forward to the day you get as angry during a senate debate, you'll win hands down," he said.

Padme grinned and looked up. "You aren't angry?" She asked. He shot her another astonished glance, angry? For what?

"Padme, Anakin should have told you that it is** very** difficult to make me angry. I get insulted on a daily basis, Senator. No harm done," he reminded her cheerfully.

Padme looked down with a tiny, fidgeting with her fingers. "I'm glad. I, too, sort of look forward to the day I get angry enough at the rest of the senate," she agreed. Obi-wan shook his head at the thought. He'd have to holo-tape **_that _**debate.

Padme looked up, and her deep brown eyes studied him frankly. He sensed the question he had been waiting for during the war was emerging. "You know, don't you?" she asked, at last. "About me and Ani?" He smiled without looking at her.

"Yes, I do," he admitted. She did not seem surprised. "How long?" She asked. "Four years," the entire war. Her eyes widened.

"The entire length of our marriage? How did you find out?" she gasped. "That's a bit of a long story," Obi-wan said, checking the coordinates, they were nearly there.

"I figured you knew. Does anyone else know? Are we obvious?" She asked anxiously. He shook his head. "No, you two are very good at hiding it actually. I just know you two too well, as does Ahsoka, she knows as well," he assured her knowingly.

She smiled and nodded, relieved. "Good. We've always been worried about that," she looked at him curiously. "How does Ahsoka know?" She asked.

He chuckled softly. "I didn't ask. She figured it out sometime near when we saved Naboo from the Blue Shadow Virus. She came to me about it."

As she came to him about many things. Since Anakin left at night, Ahsoka had started coming to him at night, when nightmares of war plagued her. She had told him about so many dreams that his now mirrored hers.

Padme blinked and shook her head ruefully. "We should have known we couldn't fool you guys. Why didn't you ever say anything? Weren't you disappointed, or angry?" She questioned.

Obi-wan stopped, thinking. The event seemed to have happened so long ago now, **_had_** he been angry? Disappointed? Yes, he had been, but he had moved past it.

"At first, I **was **disappointed," he admitted. "When you train someone for half of your life to be something, and then even before they're done with that training, they go and**_ break_** the number one rule… Well, it doesn't feel exactly fulfilling," he said. Padme looked down, she had evidently never thought of this. "I imagine so," she agreed softly.

"At first, I thought it was just another case of young love that probably wouldn't last long. But Anakin **_has_** been crazy about you for fifteen years. He announced he was going to marry you when he turned twelve, and I sort of knew that it was all going downhill from there," he sighed.

Padme giggled. Obi-wan smiled. "I also knew you were far too intelligent to marry him over a crush, and who was I to spoil what you two have? You obviously care for one another," he said with a small shrug.

Padme grinned. "And we wouldn't have listened even if you did try to stop us," she added. Obi-wan nodded. "Reason number two," he agreed. Padme laughed and her eyes filled with sparkling joy.

"I'm glad you know, Obi-wan, I've wanted to tell you for years, but Anakin was afraid of disappointing you, or that you would tell the council" she said. Obi-wan frowned, a bit hurt… And guilty.

"For force sakes, he should know me better than that," he said. Padme nodded and sighed. "I told him that, but he was obstinate," she agreed.

Obi-wan's eyebrows scrunched, how could Anakin think he would betray him? Anakin was his friend, his son, his little brother, and despite the fact that he had been initially frustrated with him, it had worn off. He would **_in no way_** have betrayed Anakin, never mind the code.

Suddenly, Nava stuck her head in, her long black hair windblown and wild. "Are we almost there?" She asked. "Almost," Obi-wan answered. She nodded and went back to Ahsoka.

Padme looked at him questioningly. Obi-wan grinned. "That was Nava, and the Twi'lek is her padawan, Intrepid. Nava and I were in many classes together as younglings, the two top students. She is….." he hesitated, as if looking for the correct word.

"A close friend. Both of them insisted on coming," he explained. Padme nodded and smiled. "I'm going back there to help them then," she said.

Obi-wan nodded and looked at the coordinates. They were there. "Also, senator, tell them we've arrived," he announced.


	26. Chapter 26

~Ahsoka's POV~

"Not **_again_**. Whydoes he do this?" Ahsoka groaned as the landing ramp slid down. In front of her lay the rubble that had once been the Separatist base. Republic forces had not gotten a chance to examine it yet, so it was just as her master had left it. Obliterated.

Nevertheless, the dark side hung in the air thickly, choking her.

"I don't like the amount of dark side here," Nava said warily as she walked down the ramp. Padme walked after her. When she saw the wreckage, she paled. "He… He's in there?" She croaked. "Somewhere," Obi-wan agreed, crossing his arms as he surveyed the damage.

"Don't worry, Padme," Ahsoka assured her unworriedly. "He has survived much worse, trust me. This isn't the first time I've had to dig him out of his explosions," she said. Padme nodded, but kept her eyes glued anxiously to the rubble.

"How are we going to find him?" She asked. "Found him," Obi-wan, Nava, Intrepid and Ahsoka announced in unison, having been searching the force. Padme smiled, relieved. "Lead the way, then," she said.

Ahsoka hurried to the piles of destroyed base, and used the force to jump atop it. The others followed. Using the force as a tracking radar, Ahsoka followed her master's force signature, maneuvering her way over poles and still sparking wires. He was deep under the ruins.

Finally, she stopped over a particular spot. He was underneath them. Obi-wan stopped next to her. "Oh, Anakin," he sighed. "Let's get lifting," Intrepid said, gathering the force. Ahsoka nodded and did the same.

* * *

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin's impending insanity was interrupted by the sound of the metal above him screeching. He looked up, by the light of his lightsaber; he saw a dent in his ceiling starting to slowly lessen in its weight.

He scowled, was the ruins that had been his home for two days finally giving way? He moved to the side_. Your death has arrived_, the voices mocked.

Anakin shook his head, no; it couldn't end, not like this. He had been through too much, he had held unto hope for too long. He still needed to figure out a way to save Padme.

All of a sudden, he felt a familiar force presence break through the darkness he was in. And it was purely light. As if he were a desperate man craving water in a desert, he scrambled towards it. He recognized that signature, and force was he glad to sense it.

A shard of light broke through from the surface as a block of debris was moved. Anakin shielded his eyes while they adjusted. The light side worked feverishly. "Ani!" Someone called. He blinked, was that Padme?

"Anakin!" It **_was_** Padme, and her voice sounded like one from an angel. Part of her face appeared from the hole above him. When she saw him, her entire face lit up. "Anakin!" she called again.

"The one and only. What are you doing here?" He asked. "Master! Are you alright?!" Ahsoka's voice broke through.

Anakin couldn't help but laugh. After two days of mental torture, he was saved. "Fine, Ahsoka," he replied. Padme reached through and they locked hands. Relief and love flooded through him, she was okay.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful?" Padme demanded. Anakin shrugged. "I **_was _**careful, you see I'm still alive," he defended. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Back up, Padme, we're going to get him out," Nava said.

"Nava is here?" he gasped as Padme backed away. "We all are," Intrepid added. "Oh," he said stupidly, what were they**_ all_** doing there? Another chunk of his enclosure was taken away. Now there were only the two walls.

"Alright, this will be tricky," Obi-wan, said contemplatively. "Ahsoka, you and Intrepid lift that side, Anakin move to the left, the other wall will come down," Anakin quickly obeyed, wanting nothing more than to escape the cave that had confined him.

He could feel the tremors of effort in the force as, slowly, the wall to the left was suddenly lifting. Padme reached in and grabbed both of his hands. Quickly, he hauled himself out just as the right wall fell on top of where he had been a second before.

He raised a hand as his eyes readjusted to the light. The other Jedi lowered the wall. Padme brushed his tunic off anxiously, searching his body for injuries.

"It's good to see you, little Ani. You gave us quite a scare," Nava said slapping him on the back. He smiled wanly. "Sorry about that. Subtlety isn't my strong point," he said. Obi-wan snorted and crossed his arms. "No kidding," he agreed with a feeble smile.

Anakin smiled at them, and then his face grew somber as he remembered the comm. link in his pocket and all the Sith he had a feeling escaped. "I'm glad to see all of you," he said, glancing around.

"But I have some bad news." The overjoyed faces fell back into seriousness. The war was not over yet. "Let's get inside," Intrepid suggested.

* * *

~Nava's POV~

"Again I say, this is ridiculous," Intrepid said as they pulled Ahsoka back on board. Ahsoka gave her a warm grin in response as she slipped the rope from her waist.

"Life isn't without its difficulties," she huffed, tired. Nava grinned and nodded. "Rightly so. Well, let's go see what this bad news is. Not that I'm very eager to know," she sighed. Bad news and more bad news. The life of a Jedi was filled with it.

"Neither am I," Ahsoka agreed as they walked past her. In the cockpit, Artoo piloted the ship. In the pilot's seat Obi-wan had turned around, his attention on the comm. link in Anakin's hand.

Padme was standing next to her husband behind the co-pilot's seat; hand on his shoulder. Ahsoka sat in the co-pilot's chair and Intrepid sat behind her. Nava leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"Good, we're all here. Now tell us what's so important, Anakin," Obi-wan said. Anakin nodded and passed the comm. link to Ahsoka, who studied it. "Do you remember when Dooku told you the senate was under control of a Sith named Darth Sidious?" he asked. Obi-wan nodded.

"Well, when I was about to put the bomb on the door outside of the communications center, I over-heard a conversation between him and another Sith; he called the other Sith master" Nava's eyebrows shot up, shocked.

Dooku had a master? She didn't know his pride was capable of allowing such a thing. _"Pride is something that can be turned on and off, master"_ at times, she still heard the voice of Annex in her mind.

Even though he had been a mere child, his spirit lived on in her heart as her guidance. "He called him Master **_Sidious_**, to be exact," Anakin explained. Obi-wan scowled and stroked his beard.

"And this comm. link? It's what they used to communicate?" Padme asked. '"It's a private comm. link, only capable of one frequency, and that frequency could be millions of parsecs away, so my guess is yes," Ahsoka answered for him, tossing the device to Obi-wan.

"Right," Anakin agreed. "That's kind of why I didn't get out of the building before it was blown up. I knew the Jedi would need that disk so we could find this Sith, I got caught by the Count," he said.

Obi-wan nodded. "Well done, Anakin, we've been secretly looking for this Sith for years," he said. Anakin sighed. "I wish we had found him sooner. I know you all could sense the dark side in that rubble," he said. "It was very strong," Nava agreed, nodding. That had worried her immensely. Not even Dooku could produce that amount of malice.

"It was worse when the thing was whole," Anakin stated. "Because as I was sneaking round through those halls, I saw twenty-seven Sith. I could sense even more as well."

Each person in the room inhaled sharply. Nava felt her eyes widen. Twenty-seven Sith? That was impossible. It was even more impossible for there to be more. The rule of two prevented the Sith from growing too large. "That can't be right," Obi-wan said, speaking her thoughts.

"There haven't been more than two Sith since the end of the Sith wars," he said.

Anakin shrugged. "Maybe they decided that they weren't ever going to defeat the Jedi with two people," he said. "True," Intrepid sighed. Nava bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Tell us, how much of the conversation between Dooku and Sidious did you hear?" She asked.

Anakin looked down. "Not much. I heard enough to contemplate that Darth Sidious is someone we know. He said that the Jedi were not answering any questions on my plan when Dooku called to complain about me," he smiled feebly.

"I also heard that a padawan of mine was winning a war?" He cocked an eyebrow at Ahsoka, who shrugged. "Eh, I'll tell you later. It was nothing," Nava laughed.

"Nothing? Yes, we'll see about that," she said. Small smiles passed around. Nava let out a breath she had not been aware she was holding in. Laughter was the best medicine.

"I also heard..." he cleared his throat, and she saw his eyes darken. "That the backup plan involves turning me to the dark side," she blinked. **_"What?"_** Padme gasped. Nava cocked an eyebrow at Obi-wan, who additionally appeared disturbed.

"How were they going to do that?" Ahsoka asked, scowling. Anakin shrugged. "I didn't hear the rest. They thought it wouldn't take too much time though," he seemed almost ashamed about this.

_ Why?_ Nava wondered. _Why would they think they can turn him to the dark side? Because he's unorthodox?_ She locked eyes with Padme, and saw the same question in her eyes.

"That is…." Nava searched for the correct word. "Disturbing," silence answered. "So," Intrepid said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Let's make a list of our problems," she put up six fingers, counting down.

"We know so far that there are twenty-seven Sith alive, maybe more judging by how thick the dark side was. Dooku and Grievous escaped and are currently running around further ruining the universe," Anakin raised his eyebrows, taken aback by this news. He looked at Obi-wan for confirmation, and his face darkened with further shame when he nodded.

"There's some secret Sith in the government who acts as a kriffing spy for the Separatists. He also wants to turn Master Skywalker to the dark side for some reason. We have no clue where any of these Sith even **are**. And last but not least, there might be a giant army somewhere just waiting to wipe out the Order. Did I miss anything?" That was her apprentice, ever the factual one.

"No, you got them all," Anakin sighed, putting his chin in his hands. "How did Dooku escape?" he growled. "He was right next to me when I blew the base," he commented. "**_You_** survived, master" Ahsoka pointed out. There was another stricken silence.

Nava sighed, knowing that they were all thinking the same thing. If the Jedi Order had not seen all of this happening, what else had they missed? What other important factor to their survival had been over-looked?

"Well," Obi-wan said, breaking the silence. "We can't dwell on it too much for now. Thanks to this," he held up the comm. link. "We might be able to find this Darth Sidious and end the Sith once and for all," he declared.

Anakin smiled and straightened up, his blue eyes sparking with optimism. "So my mission **_wasn't_** a complete failure?" he asked hopefully. "Not at all. Half-way, perhaps. But not completely," Obi-wan replied with a teasing half-grin. Anakin answered by rolling his eyes.

"Obi-wan is right," Nava said, clasping her hands together. She was better at this, she was better at hopefulness and buoyancy. It was what kept her alive, making everyone else smile. It was why she and Obi-wan were such good friends; they both needed others to need them to survive.

"Becoming depressed about something that can most likely be fixed is not the Jedi way," she said cheerfully. Maybe. Or; there was some rule like that.

"We each have a story to tell about the battle you missed out on," she said. Anakin grinned. "True, did we win?" He asked. Padme laughed and squeezed his shoulder. "We won, Anakin. We won," she said.

* * *

_**Longest chapter ever**_. I feel bad for Obi-wan, he has to tell the council all this. Annex was mentioned again. Obi-wan knows about Padme and Anakin. Oh, wait until he tells _**Anakin**_ he knew! That was a good chapter...


	27. The long awaited truth

Three days later:

~Anakin's POV~

_They don't understand love, Anakin, not like you do. They only see the dark side of it, they do not see the light. They are not light, you fight for the wrong side, Skywalker. _Anakin let out along breath and squeezed his knees even tighter, still fighting against the memory of darkness.

It only came on when he was alone, like now. Ahsoka was with Barriss and Intrepid, aiding in the search parties. Padme was in a meeting with several senators over the arrangements of the news Anakin had delivered and force knew where Nava and the Chancellor was.

He was alone, and the voices resurfaced in his mind. Anakin sucked in a slow breath, feeling the cold sweat start to leak into his eyelashes again.

It had been three days since the dark side had invaded his system but the following affects still remained. He wondered if anyone could sense it on him, like a foul after smell.

"You look rather worse for wear," a familiar voice interrupted his meditation. He opened his eyes, having never been so glad to Obi-wan for interrupting him.

"Not at all," he lied. Obi-wan studied him intently for a moment, searching for the truth. His eyes were surprisingly dull. Anakin tried to put on a look of innocent sincerity.

It did not work.

"Anakin…" Obi-wan began. Anakin stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing, Obi-wan. Don't worry so much. Has the council studied the comm. link yet?" he asked.

Obi-wan gave him a 'this is not over yet' look before nodding. "That's why I'm here, actually. We'd like to you to be there," he said. Anakin nodded and followed him out.

Inside of the briefing room, the Jedi council stood, speaking in quiet voices. Standing above them was an expanded form of Darth Sidious in holo-graphic mode, his hunched form menacing and mysterious.

Anakin felt a shiver go up his spine upon seeing it. _"Not to worry. Let him do as he wishes. Turning him to the dark Side is a process I am quite confident will not take too much more of our time. He will be ours soon enough,"_ the dark, gnarled voice echoed in his mind.

When the two walked in, the room went silent. The council turned to Anakin, and to his shock, he saw remorse, shame and resentment in their eyes.

"What have you found out?" he asked warily. "We reviewed the entire thing. Listened to every conversation the two have had," Mace said, rubbing his large forehead tiredly. "And?" Anakin probed.

"We learned that Darth Sidious was the original master of Darth Maul. Once I killed him, he needed a new apprentice, and contacted The Count **_before_** he officially left the Order," Obi-wan began, his face shut down.

Anakin felt his stomach roll with rage. Darth Sidious had ordered Qui-gon's execution. He hated him immediately.

"Wonderful," he said sarcastically. "We also found out that the war was all a part of their plan to lessen our numbers **_and_** break the Jedi Order apart so that he could deplete the Republic," Shaak Ti added.

Anakin scowled. "He was making us into soldiers," he mumbled. "Yes. The war has forced us to abandon our own ways. We've become just as corrupt as the senate," Master Koth spat, sounding disgusted.

Anakin was taken aback. True, he was not the biggest supporter of the Jedi council, or some of the Jedi's ways, but he had never thought of them as** corrupt**. He saw the conviction in each eye though. They were all dull with shame and disgust.

"Added to that is the fact that this Darth Sidious has often warned Dooku of our plans. Not at every battle, but in many instances where we would have won if given the element of surprise. He helped Cad Bane get into the Jedi temple. He started the plot to invade Mandalore. So many of our battles strategies, he's known **_every _**detail of," Obi-wan sighed.

Anakin gulped. "He… What was he trying to achieve?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer. "To destroy the Republic and start what he called the 'Galactic Empire,'" Master Fisto answered. Anakin gulped, the name suddenly terrified him.

"Another thing. Continuously, he talks about the progress of turning you to the dark side," Master Mundi added, eyeing him curiously.

Anakin felt like he had been slapped. "He's already started trying?" he gasped. "When? Why didn't I know this?" He demanded. Fury tapped into his blood, how could he be so stupid? Without his knowledge, he was being turned into a monster. He was being manipulated, but by whom?

"The same reason we didn't know we were becoming soldiers," Obi-wan said. "The dark side has clouded our vision," the others nodded in agreement.

Anakin felt relief flood through him, so they didn't blame him for being the one the Sith targeted? Were not they suspicious? It did not seem so. They looked more ashamed of themselves than of him.

"Have you identified him?" Anakin asked. "No, but his voice. It's very familiar," Master Windu explained.

Anakin nodded. "I agree. When I first heard it, it reminded me of the Chancellor," he approved. The others exchanged glances, and Anakin had a faint idea of what they were thinking.

They had never liked Palpatine.

"Well, let's take a look at this mysterious Sith," Fisto said, he waltzed up and typed in a code. "Identifying," the holo-projector chirped. Slowly, the holo-graphic image sizzled, the computer trying to match his showing features with every known being in the galaxy.

Anakin waited anxiously, who was the man who had ordered the death of Qui-gon? Who had started this war? Who had tried to turn him against the light? Who had killed millions with his greed and selfishness?

"Match found," even the machine sounded slightly doubtful as the image appeared. Anakin took a step back, horrified. Despite strict Jedi training and calm discipline, each member in the room gasped. "No," Anakin whispered. "It… It just can't **_be_**…."

It was Chancellor Palpatine.


	28. Chapter 28

~Count Dooku's POV~

"Starkiller, is everything all clear?" Deathdera asked in her characteristic, raspy voice. The gray-skinned man only grunted an affirmative. She turned to him. "All clear, master," she said.

Dooku nodded and looked down the cliff. The Jedi had already searched and abandoned this area, moving on to another side of the mountain. Thus, it was their hiding place.

He glared at the setting sun as if it were the cause of all of this. News had spread that Skywalker had been rescued, did he still have Dooku's comm. link? Force, if the Jedi got their hands on that comm. link…..

No, the boy couldn't be so smart as to have given it to the council. He just couldn't have. Dooku turned away from the sun, he had to get ready for his plan. The Jedi would never be expecting this, even if they did find that information.

He would have his victory still.


	29. Chapter 29

~Anakin's POV~

The silence was thunderous. His heart hammered in his ears. His mind spun with shock.

There was just no way…. He was surrounded by Jedi **_all _**day! He had become Anakin's cherished friend! How could he be…? How could such a good man have….? It couldn't be.

"Um…" somehow, Windu was trying to speak. Anakin still had not found the ability yet. "I… Well… Force, I did **_not_** see that coming," he gasped at last. Anakin would have found such a comment hilarious if he weren't so horrified. "He's a Sith?" Master Plo intoned, despite his helmet, his voice shockingly high.

"He can't be a Sith," Anakin gasped out, finally managing to speak. Nevertheless, his voice was a squeak. "He's surrounded by Jedi all day and he's the **_Chancellor_** and… And he's a good man," wasn't he? "Makes sense, this does," Yoda said from the ground.

The entire Jedi council turned to him. "It does?" they asked in a surprised unison. Yoda nodded, his large ears flapping.

"It does. Given all of our plans to the Chancellor we have. Suspect him, no one would. Tried to make us into politicians, he has. Given us the command of General, undermine our authority he does then. Friends," he looked up at Anakin.

"You two are, spread mistrust through the Jedi he has," Anakin spluttered, trying to come up with a defense for his friend. But he couldn't.

Yoda was right.

Palpatine had always fed into his frustrations. He had flattered Anakin; he had made him wonder at the council's ways. He had made him question the Jedi and the Sith.

Palpatine had gained his trust, and then told him he was right to be over-protective, he had told him he was right to be angry at Obi-wan and the council, he had told him he was right to hate the sand people; he had told him he was **_always _**right.

He had been manipulating Anakin, from the inside out. And Anakin had listened to him all along.

Fury built within him, rising as if a volcano were erupting. "Traitor," he ground out between clenched teeth. "He **_betrayed _**me," what hurt the most was that he had allowed himself to be betrayed and influenced. Obi-wan put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He betrayed us all, Anakin," he said softly.

"This cannot stand," Mace said, snapping out of his shock and turning back to the true problem. "I agree, we must act now. The Chancellor must be arrested before he can spring his next move," Master Plo agreed urgently. "No," Shaak Ti broke in firmly.

"We have to buy our time. If we go in and arrest him it will appear as if a straight out coup," she argued. "She's right," Obi-wan agreed, stepping into the argument. "We must be patient. From the information we have gathered, we can plot a new move," he said.

"What new move? This Sith has obviously proven that he can predict our strategies. He has information on us as well," Master Fisto debated. "Out-smart him, we must," Yoda affirmed. There was a tense silence before the entire council broke out in war.

Anakin stood back, astonished more than he would have liked for one day. He had never seen anything like **_this_**. The council didn't always agree, true, but they had never broken out in an argument like this before. This was what the _**senate**_ did. They had an emergency here; this was no time for arguing!

It was actually very intriguing nevertheless. What was more intriguing was the fact that Obi-wan's side seemed to be winning if not for Mace. He had never thought of Master Windu of being the perfect match for the fabled _Negotiator_.

Only Yoda stayed silent, staring at the holo-graphic image wistfully. Anakin slowly made his way to the elder Jedi's side. He knelt beside him, the gears in his mind working feverishly. "Master," he said softly.

"Why don't we just have someone spy on the Chancellor? I would be happy too after he betrayed me," his teeth clenched, he would have his revenge. Palpatine would find he was not so naïve after all.

"Or one of the senators we know we can trust. Senator Amidala or Organa might do it if we explain our evidence. Once we get enough proof, we can have him arrested without a fight," he offered.

Yoda stared at him with surprise. Then he chuckled softly, leaning on his cane and studying Anakin frankly. "A good plan this is," he said at last, his large emerald eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Underestimated you, the council never has. Trusted you though, we have not. Been too hard on you, perhaps," now it was Anakin's turn to be shocked.

He had never-not even in his **wildest** dreams-ever thought he'd hear Yoda say that to him. It was as close to an apology as he had ever heard from the elder Jedi. It was what he needed, he realized. For someone higher than him to realize they had done wrong, instead of always accusing him.

"Your severity has given me a harder edge to fight with, Master Yoda," he said after a moment of rapidly blinking like an idiot. Yoda grinned and with one very small yet unpredictably soft hand, he reached over and patted Anakin's real hand, almost as if a grandfather.

"Taught you well, Obi-wan has" it was like getting knighted all over again. He looked down, flattered. Yoda chuckled again and looked up, his eyes suddenly hardening. "Quiet!" he ordered. The room shushed at once. The other members turned to their leader with respect.

"Bickering like the senate you are, again," he sighed. Anakin heard an emphasis on 'again'. Yoda gave Obi-wan and Windu a pointed look.

"A better plan, we have," he told them. They all looked at him expectantly. "Spy on the Chancellor," Yoda proposed. The others all looked at one another. "For what, though?" Mace dared to wonder.

"For information against him," Anakin spoke up, standing. "We won't just barge in head first, and yet we won't just sit back and wait for him to destroy us. He already trusts me, and there are a few senators that we can trust to spy on his doings. We also," he pointed to the comm. link.

"Have that. He is bound to call Dooku sometime. A little voice simulation and holo-faking and we can learn just about anything," he pointed out. The council stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding simultaneously.

"Spying on Palpatine will work," Mace agreed, nodding to Anakin in recognition. He felt as if was knighted a third time.

"What senators do**_ you_** believe we should use, Anakin?" Obi-wan asked, giving him a proud grin. Anakin returned the smile and stepped forward. "Here's what I say," he said, trying to seem humble. It failed, because after fifteen years, he was finally accepted by the other Jedi.

He wasn't a stranger anymore.

* * *

Later:

"You know, master, I never thought I'd live to see this day," Anakin said, completely abandoning all hope of being humble and fairly strutting down the hall self-importantly.

Obi-wan was watching him with unconcealed enjoyment. "That's good," he replied neutrally. Anakin wasn't listening to him anyway. "Did you see Master Windu? He actually looked at me without scorn!" Anakin celebrated.

"True," Obi-wan said with sparkling eyes. "I felt like I was being knighted all over again!" He laughed. Obi-wan chuckled softly. "I'm glad," he agreed as they walked back into Anakin's dorm.

"Do you think my plan will work?" Anakin asked, throwing his cloak down messily. "It's too early to tell," Obi-wan, who could not stand mess, said as he used the force to pick up Anakin's discarded cloak. "I think it will work," Anakin declared happily.

He plopped himself down on the rug like a king. "Slave, go get me water!" he called, pointing at Obi-wan teasingly. He was rewarded with a pillow in the face. "Hay!" he laughed. "Bad slave!" he chucked it back at his old friend. "You're horrible at this, Obi-wan," he said.

Obi-wan laughed and sat cross-legged across from him. "Alright, Anakin, I know you're excited but calm down, I need to ask you something" he advised firmly. Anakin smiled but forced his fluttering heart to settle down. "Okay," he said after a minute. "I'm calm. What's up?" He asked.

"I know you went to Palpatine for advice often. Does he know anything he could use against you, since you're going to be the main one spying on him?" He asked.

Anakin frowned, thinking. It was a good question, but one he**_ really_** did not want to answer. He had told Palpatine many things. Everything; excluding about him and Padme. Or his dreams of her death which he **_still _**needed to figure out.

Things he was not eager to tell Obi-wan.

He ran a hand through his hair. Obi-wan was watching him with patient eyes. There was no stalling with him, despite his hatred of politics, Obi-wan was a natural born politician. He knew Anakin's tendency to stall, and this time, it would trigger a completely secret interrogation that Anakin was not excited to try and win.

"No, I don't think so," he said at last. Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Yes!" Anakin snapped; there was a change in the air. One he did not like. Obi-wan seemed startled by his outburst. He narrowed his eyes, assessing.

Blast, he was**_ assessing_** again.

"Have you told him about you and Padme?" Anakin blinked. Had he heard that right? Force, no, he did not hear that right. Did he suspect something? Quickly, Anakin washed his face of any emotion. "Not **_this_** again," he sighed.

Obi-wan chuckled. "Anakin, I know you two are married," Anakin inhaled sharply and his eyes snapped to Obi-wan's. He stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie. He saw none. His master knew, then.

**_ Blast._**

"How long?" Anakin asked, looking down. No use in pretending anymore, his condemnation had arrived. "Four years," Anakin whipped his head back up, the whole extent of his marriage? Of the war?

"You…" He gasped, and then slowly, shook his head. He should have known Obi-wan would find out. What else did the old man know? Obi-wan likewise, was grinning.

"Padme tells me you didn't want to tell me," he observed. Wonderful, Padme had told him? "No," Obi-wan said, reading his mind. "She did not tell me. I figured it out long ago. As did your padawan," Ahsoka knew as well? How? "Are we obvious?" He asked seriously. "As I told Padme; not at all. I know you too well," perhaps he did.

Anakin sighed and smiled feebly. "Since you haven't told the council yet, I suppose that means I have nothing to worry about, correct?" He needed to make sure. Obi-wan frowned, looking hurt. "Of course not, Anakin," He countered.

Anakin grinned. One of the greatest minds in the Jedi Order, and he had tried to trick him? He shook his head. "I should have told you," he admitted. "You should have," Obi-wan agreed, crossing his arms. "My question is; why didn't you?" Anakin looked down, thinking. There had been many reasons.

"I… I had broken the Code. You have always told me how that leads to the dark side and how following the code will lead to peace and everything else. I didn't think…." He sighed.

"I didn't think you'd understand. You were raised here; you don't know what love is. You're the Order's perfect Jedi, the great _Negotiator_. I did not want to disappoint you... And... And..." He let out a sigh of exasperation and ran a hand through his hair.

"Obi-wan, there were a lot of reasons," he said at last. He did not want to name all of them. He had forgotten half. When he had married Padme, it had been a whirlwind of passion and secrecy and dread and love. He had not thought of much else.

Obi-wan was staring at him with little emotion. Anakin returned the stare, wondering what he was thinking.

Finally, Obi-wan spoke, and what he said surprised the living force out of Anakin. "You're an idiot," he said plainly. Anakin felt his jaw go slack, though it did not open.

Obi-wan had never called him an idiot. Not even jokingly. He had told him he was foolish, reckless, irresponsible and careless, but he had never downplayed his intelligence.

Anakin found he didn't know what to do.

"What?" he asked. "You're an idiot," Obi-wan repeated, as if he were talking to himself. Anakin looked down, Obi-wan had not seemed angry a moment before, was he going to get a lecture now? Anger suddenly flooded through him. He was a lot of things, but not that.

"How am I an idiot?" he demanded, leaning forward with challenging eyes. Obi-wan blinked, as if coming out of a dream. "What? No, Anakin, not you. Well, yes, you are a bit of an idiot. But I meant the both of us," he explained tiredly. Anakin let out a sigh of relief. Another reason he hadn't told Obi-wan was that he hadn't wanted to lose the older man's respect.

"Oh. Wait, I'm still an idiot?" He asked. "Yes. It is mostly my fault though," Obi-wan, said, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I never did give you a **_reason_** to trust me, did I?" he asked.

Anakin sat back, thinking. He had never expected to have this conversation with Obi-wan. He had dreamed of it, but never thought. "No, not really," he said at last. Obi-wan nodded, and Anakin saw a flash of sadness in his eyes. It affected him more than he thought it would.

"I should have anyway, though," he said quickly. "You're my friend. I knew I could tell you, and I sort of knew you would listen to the story, I just didn't think you'd understand," he explained. Obi-wan let out a bitter laugh.

"You misjudge me, my former apprentice. We are far too alike, more than I thought. Anyway, no, you had no reason to **_really _**know whether I would betray you or not. I wouldn't have said anything either," those words, they meant more than Obi-wan knew.

It meant he understood what Anakin was going through. It meant he wasn't angry, that he could accept Anakin as he was, that he thought Anakin had made the right choice. It was bliss.

"Thank you," he said softly. Obi-wan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't thank me. I should have been a better master, a better friend," he sighed. "I should have been more like Qui-gon."

He reached forward and set a hand on top of Anakin's. For the first time in Anakin's memory, every emotion was clear on his face. Guilt, sorrow, shame, honesty. "I'm sorry, Anakin," he said.

Anakin was sure the shock on his face showed. He had never thought he'd hear Obi-wan apologize for just…. Being Obi-wan. It was unacceptable. No matter what, he still loved Obi-wan like a brother, father and best friend all at once. He put a hand over his, instinctively.

"You have nothing to be sorry over, master" he replied just as softly. He had waited a lifetime for this. Fifteen years he had struggled and fought for Obi-wan's acceptance and care, to be his equal.

"I'm sorry too, because in truth, I haven't been the best friend in the universe either. I never really appreciated all you've done for me. Force, I have so much to tell you, master, now that I know you'll listen. Are we…" he paused, not sure how to phrase the question. "Still friends?" He asked.

Obi-wan did not especially surprise him when he laughed. "Still? Anakin, I don't think we could stop being friends if we tried. We've spent too long together," he stated matter-of-factly.

Anakin grinned and took his hand away, for the tenth time in his life just plain deciding that Obi-wan was the best friend in the universe. "I agree. We'd better get comfortable, I think there's a lot we have to go over," Obi-wan nodded and squeezed his hand before assuming an attentive expression.

Anakin grinned back, and felt as if his heart had lessened another twenty pounds. The happiness inside of him was immeasurable.

He was still afraid, still angry and there was a lot of healing he had skipped, but he no longer felt as if that healing was impossible.

The gaps of loss left in his heart were filling, with what, he did not know, but it was nice. He felt… Complete. He felt free, for the first time in his life, he **_was_** free.


	30. Chapter 30

~Palpatine's POV~

Palpatine tapped at his desk impatiently. Where was Dooku? He knew what to do if anything like this ever occurred.

For three weeks, he had been waiting for this attack. It had not come. He had threatened and yelled at that blasted Count, and each time the buffoon had promised to send the troops. He had not done so.

Another problem, also had presented itself. Anakin, he was…. He was lighter. The dark tinge around him had vanished, and his azure eyes no longer sparked with yellow. He did not defend the Jedi, yet Palpatine could sense underneath his knowing nod, he was smirking, laughing, **_mocking_** him.

Why? What had he gone through in his time under the ground? If anything, the dark side there should've made him more easy to defy, to trick and manipulate. Palpatine let out a growl. What had the Jedi done to his monster?

Never the matter, he had one trick yet.

* * *

_** Three days later:**_

~Ahsoka's POV~

"Alright, how far along are they?" Nava asked as she walked inside of the cafeteria. Obi-wan looked up from the blueprints. "Not even a tenth's done. I hope they'll have it ready in time for the baby," he said. Ahsoka bit her lip, hoping the same.

Nava put a comforting hand on Obi-wan's shoulder. "I'm sure they will. How far along is Padme? Five or six months?" She asked. "Just about," Ahsoka answered. Intrepid sat beside her. "I have to say, each time I look at these blueprints, I'm impressed by our creativity," Ahsoka grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Anakin will love it, that's for sure," she chuckled, staring at the blueprints of the house before them. It certainly wasn't… normal. "I just wish we would have been able to put it on Naboo," Nava sighed. Her fingers unconsciously messed with Obi-wan's hair.

"You know why we couldn't," he said, not at all seeming to notice. "I know," Nava said nodding. "Padme speaks so much of having the baby born on Naboo, though," Ahsoka said. She rested her chin in her hands.

"Perhaps it can visit," Intrepid snorted sarcastically. "With the landscape of this planet? Its just as beautiful as Naboo," she pointed out. "True," Ahsoka said with a grin. She smiled down at her carefully considered plans.

She hoped her master liked them. "I'm sure he will," Obi-wan chuckled, reading her mind. "He'd better," Nava snorted, she seemed to notice her hand and swiftly snatched it away.

"We shouldn't worry too much though. That is a very big house, after all. These things aren't built in weeks, you know," Intrepid added with a mischievous glance at Ahsoka.

The two masters were not as inconspicuous as they believed themselves to be. "Intrepid is right…" Nava trailed off as they sensed a familiar force presence.

"Quick!" Ahsoka hissed. She rolled up the plans. "Hide them! Hide them!" Intrepid agreed, nearly giggling with anticipation. Ahsoka glanced up, a smile of secrecy planted on her face. Anakin could not find these plans, nor Padme. It would ruin the surprise.

Anakin stuck his head in the door just as Ahsoka stuffed the plans into her shirt. Nava struggled not to guffaw as Obi-wan stared at her in mild repulsion and further curiosity. Anakin cocked an eyebrow and leaned against the door with crossed arms.

"Uh, what's going on?" He wondered. "Oh, we're just taking a break from work," Nava said nonchalantly. Ahsoka nearly laughed out-loud. Since when did Obi-wan-or, heck, Nava-take breaks? Anakin eyed them suspiciously. "And why wasn't I invited?" of course he would ask that before all else.

For a moment, the other Jedi were silent, stumped for an answer. "We thought you were with Padme," Obi-wan Kenobi, once more, saves the day. "Oh," Anakin said, assured now. "Alright. Well, Mace says that the council is meeting, Obi-wan. We have plans to pursue," he said.

Obi-wan nodded and stood. "Very well. Let's not keep the others waiting then," he glanced at Ahsoka. She read the look in his eyes. _Keep working at it._ She smiled and nodded. She most certainly would.

* * *

I am so sorry I have not been able to update lately! I swear my homework takes up all of my time. I've missed writing so much. Anyway, it might be another few days before you get new chapters, sorry. I am also trying to stall for as long as I can so I can get more reviews. I've noticed that the longer you make people wait to see the end, the more people review. Anyway, what is this surprise for Anakin and Padme? =)

~Queen Yoda


	31. Chapter 31

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Tonight," Mace was saying. "Palpatine wanted an attack to be staged tonight. We all know that Dooku didn't get the message, but it could still come at any time," he declaimed.

Obi-wan stroked his beard thoughtfully, staring at the holo-graphic image of the forests around the mountains, where could the Sith be hiding themselves?

"Should we recall all Jedi?" Master Plo asked. "Searching for an enemy we know will be coming to us soon doesn't make a lot of sense," Anakin, who as usual was at the meeting, pointed out.

"If find them before they attack, better it would be," Yoda said, once more reminding them of the obvious. "We can't keep wasting resources on a wild bantha chase," Master Fisto said gravely.

"Why not spring a trap?" Obi-wan wondered, suddenly. Everyone turned to him, and Obi-wan had the distinct feeling they had been waiting for him to come up with an answer all along. "What trap?" Master Shaak Ti asked curiously.

"Master Fisto is right; we cannot keep wasting our resources on this chase. If we have not been able to track down Grievous or Dooku during these past four years, I doubt we'll find them now. We could pretend as if we're getting ready to leave planet, tell the media we found them both and they'll be tried soon." Obi-wan could imagine their response to _**that**_.

"That will rattle the Sith's pride, I'm sure. They will attack this palace. The palace which we will _**not**_ be in," he grinned, the plan starting to take form in his mind. "We can be hiding. When they have broken into the castle, intending to wipe out the entire Jedi Order, we ambush them," he proposed.

There was a moment of thoughtful silence before Yoda grunted. "Agree, I do. But provoke a battle, it will," he said. Obi-wan nodded somberly.

"I think we've been on the edge of a battle with the Sith for hundreds of years, master," he acknowledged. "That doesn't mean we need to lessen our numbers all the more in another one," Master Mundi declared.

"The clones could help," Anakin considered helpfully. "The droids were wiped out, correct?" There were nods all around. "Great, then there's no back up for these Sith. They may outnumber the Jedi, but not the Republic," he pointed out.

"The senators will need to be moved to safety," Mace said slowly. _Hmm, well the trick will be preventing Padme from running out with a blaster_, Obi-wan thought to Anakin, who smiled in agreement.

"What about Sidious?" Master Koth demanded. There was another moment of silence. Obi-wan frowned, an idea instantly coming to him. It wasn't the Jedi way though. There was a way it could be though… "What if we prove who he is during the battle?" Master Windu suddenly solved.

"Anakin could escort the Chancellor to a private vehicle that would supposedly take him off-world. I'm relatively sure Dooku or Grievous would jump at the chance to kidnap the Chancellor," he said.

"Or we could lead them there," Adi Gallia added. "Yes. We know the two of them will be looking for specific targets. I'd be happy to lead the good General to the sight," Obi-wan agreed with a grin. General Grievous- by nature, Obi-wan liked to assume- hated the very air that he breathed.

"And there I could pretend to join their side, and get the nice Chancellor to admit everything," Anakin agreed with a nod. "With that, a team of Jedi jumps out of the bushes, we take the Separatists and Sith leaders down and we all live happily ever after," he finished. "Something like that," Master Mundi chuckled with a small smile.

"It sounds like a reasonable plan to me," Master Windu said approvingly. "We should get started then, if there are no more objections," Shaak Ti stated. Obi-wan grinned; strategy and planning would win the wars.

"Let's go order in the troops," Anakin snickered. "We're going home, apparently," he said. _I wish,_ Obi-wan thought. "Meeting Adjourned," he said with a wave of his hand. Yoda thumped down his stick to agree.

* * *

The battle, ladies and gentlemen, is about to begin. Someone we all know and loves dies in the battle, by the way. And light and peace are born, so to speak...

~Queen Yoda


	32. Chapter 32

_**A month later:**_

~Padme's POV~

"You're telling me I have to hide in the forest while you all get to have the fun?" Padme demanded indignantly.

"Exactly," Nava laughed. Padme looked at Anakin, who gave her a sheepish grin. Padme leaned back, her giant stomach now bulging from her body as she did so. She could almost **_feel_** a head jabbing her spinal cord.

"Of course. Let the senators stay helplessly in the forest," she harrumphed teasingly. "In our defense Padme, you**_ are_** pregnant," Ahsoka pointed out, still wrinkling her nose at the color of her office. Their little team had taken to meeting inside of Padme's office to discuss the next move of the Jedi.

The clones had been ordered aboard ships headed back to Courascant. Supplies and cannons had already been rolled into the cruisers. Soon, very soon, the Jedi predicted the attack of the Sith.

_"The dark side is growing around us,"_ Intrepid had explained. _"We can feel that they're coming,"_ Ahsoka, of course, had added; _"and boy, are they __**mad**__."_

For the past three weeks, indeed, the senate and Jedi had been sleeping in the surrounding forests. Or, what counted as sleeping for the Jedi, which meant a quick meditation and then going back to work.

Annoyingly, though, they had only just **_now_** told her she wouldn't be allowed to fight. She didn't have many objections, she hadn't expected to be able too.

"So what?" Padme continued boredily, she felt the baby kick at her stomach. "So, we don't want you to hurt the baby," Ahsoka said from her perch next to Intrepid on Padme's desk.

Intrepid was studying the forests around the mountains on her holo-graphic map, trying to find any better maneuverable ambush spots. Obi-wan, likewise, was doing the same.

"The baby is tough. I've fed it all the right foods. It can fight," she snorted, and then had to smile when Anakin laughed at her word choice.

"Padme, I know you only want to help, but you have to remember that these are**_ Sith_** we're talking about. We aren't fighting droids this time. Sith can block blaster bolts," Anakin told her seriously.

Padme let out a slow breath. "Fine," she agreed, at last. "I'll hide in the woods like a good senator. But the second we start losing I'm going to bring out my blaster," she said.

"I've no doubt. Any luck?" Nava asked Obi-wan as she looked up from one of Padme's books. She grinned at Padme and set it down.

"None," Obi-wan said with a shake of his head. "Me either," Intrepid agreed, turning off the machine. "Well, if you two couldn't find one then there is none, we'd better get back, the clones are marching," she said.

"More loading? How many clones are there?" she asked. "Millions," Ahsoka snorted, hopping down. Intrepid followed her. Padme nodded, realizing how stupid a question she had just asked. This child was setting her hormones aflame.

Anakin chuckled and looked down at her worriedly. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked. She waved him off. "Perfectly fine. Have fun loading clones. I'll be signing paperwork," she said with a wave of her hand.

He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead, her skin tingled where his lips touched. Even after four years and dozens of obstacles, she still loved him just as much as when they first met.

"I'll come see you tonight," he promised. She nodded and smiled. "Off you go then," she said with a light push. He smiled and together, the Jedi left.

* * *

~Intrepid's POV~

"Are you ready?" Intrepid asked. Ahsoka, her expression somber and serious, nodded. "Ready? I'm past ready. You?" Intrepid nodded. Her chest had already nearly ruptured with determination, but a silent fear was also with her. What if they lost this battle? Would the Sith take over? No, they would kill all of the Jedi.

The dark side had grown. The trees around them rustled with anticipation. The force sang with the dark side and the expectation of death. The Jedi could feel the Sith creeping slowly towards the castle. The fight was about to begin. Sith and Jedi were going to war again.

Thus, the senators were stashed away safely and the Jedi were about to head down towards the palace, clones at their side. Intrepid ignited her saber again, swinging it fluidly to relieve her wrists.

"It seems so quiet," Ahsoka observed. Intrepid looked around, true, it wasn't blaring, but there was a fair amount of words being exchanged. It wasn't quiet, exactly.

"No its not," Jinx pointed out. Intrepid grinned, Jinx and O'mer, Ahsoka had told her, often followed her around, mostly out of habit.

Barriss also, was at their side, lightsaber buzzing softly, lighting up the atmosphere around them. The sun had not set yet, but in the shadow of the forest it was nearly pitch black.

"Well, it is to me," Ahsoka said with a smile. Intrepid smiled, she knew Ahsoka shared her fear. Fear was quiet. But determination outlawed it.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin called. Both girls looked up. Anakin waved Ahsoka over. Ahsoka deactivated her saber and ran over. Intrepid looked down, feeling something like Jedi stubbornness in her heart. It was a good feeling.

The war would end; she knew the Jedi would tolerate nothing less.

* * *

I hope you all are happy, because it went against every instinct in my writer body to post this chapter so early. I wanted to torture you a little more. The story is coming to a close, and a bloody, horrible close it will be.


	33. Chapter 33

~Nava's POV~

"Nava. Nava, for force sakes, where are you dragging me now?" Obi-wan asked for the tenth time. Nava, as in every other time, ignored him. Her patience was even more enduring than his. She could wait for him to shut up.

Finally, she arrived to the clearing. Ahead of her was a small over-hang that gave a clear view of the palace. Small glow-flies hung lazily over the edge, soft grass covered the clearing and the planet's setting sun sank slowly over them in clear sight, along with the early stars.

It was beautiful, but it also gave them both a clear sight as to when the Sith went into the palace, or in essence, when they would attack. "Is this what you were talking about?" She asked as they emerged from the trees and shrubs.

Obi-wan gave her a curious glance while brushing himself off. He studied the overhang with a stern eye. When he saw the palace, he grinned. "**_Perfect_**. Thank you, Nava, the council was furious that we hadn't already thought of that," he said.

He raised his comm. link to his mouth. "Mace, I've found a good lookout spot for us," he said. "Good. Stay there and give the signal for attack when they're in position," so, the attack would be on their hands. Too early or too late could prove disastrous. Nava grinned.

"Copy that," Obi-wan hung up and smiled at her. "How did you find this place?" he asked, his voice obviously awed. He would never allow so much emotion to shine through with anyone else. She loved that.

She loved his emotions, because they were so honest, so raw and sincere. His heart was closed; but his heart was not tainted. She shrugged. "Intrepid showed it to me a few nights after we arrived. She wanted me to see the view," she replied.

Obi-wan nodded and chuckled. "It has proven that it has more potential than appearance," he said. Nava nodded and sat down, cross-legged on the edge. Below her stretched thousands of feet of cliff that vanished into nighttime blackness.

Obi-wan sat beside her, his blue eyes a light green in the fading light. "Indeed," she agreed. She glanced at him. He suddenly stood, stroking his chin impatiently. She watched him. In the fading sun, he looked… Younger. As young as he truly was, **_they _**were. Too young to be fighting a war.

_ "War corrupts everything, even age"_ how true were the words of her dead master.

"You are worried," she observed, turning away those memories. He smiled halfheartedly. "You aren't?" he asked. "I have faith the plan will work. So should you. Come sit down," she responded calmly. He looked at her, and the unrest in his eyes settled.

He nodded. "You're right," he smiled more naturally this time and sat. "As usual. Are you ready to fight?" he asked. Nava sighed. "Forget the war a moment, Obi. Tell me what we'll do for celebration when we win this war," she said. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Celebration?" He asked. "We have to do **_something_**. You know Anakin and Ahsoka will drag us, if anything," she pointed out. Obi-wan smiled and returned his gaze to the sunset. "I have a slight idea about that," he said slowly. "Do you know that there are secret nooks in the archives?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "I do. I've only found a few, though," she agreed. "So have I. I think we should hideaway in those nooks. Force knows Anakin will never set foot in the archives again. Not after I dragged him when he was twelve," Obi-wan chuckled at the memory.

Nava smiled, imagining it. That must've been a funny day. "We can sit there and-for the first time in four years-just sit down in perfect silence and carelessly read," he sighed longingly.

Nava closed her eyes, imaging herself sitting next to Obi-wan in a shard of sunshine while her eyes skimmed a book and a cup of tea sat next to her.

"I like that idea," she said in agreement. "But better yet, why don't we sit in the shadows of the rain rooms?" Obi-wan looked at her, obviously he hadn't thought of such an idea.

The rain room was full of forests of tall trees, surrounded by warm mist and sunshine coming in through the ceiling. Birds and insects buzzed around in the room, chirping softly.

"I like that idea as well," he agreed. They looked at each other, and his compassionate green eyes suddenly softened. Nava felt her head go light.

His eyes toyed and teased her at the same time as understanding everything she was. They were mysterious and yet so transparent, holding secrets, but none she didn't just **know**. She loved just staring into them, staring at them.

And then the spell broke and she looked away, both of them blushing. Her stomach tingled. "They are coming nearer," Obi-wan said, clearing his throat. She nodded and erased the embarrassment from her face.

"I sense it too," she agreed. Obi-wan studied the forest. "I wonder where they've been hiding," he said softly. She shrugged. "I wonder what we're doing," she said softly. Obi-wan looked at her.

He understood what she had meant. The hidden words inside of what she had not said, what she didn't need to say because he felt the same.

What they were doing pretending their feelings were nonexistent. That love was something they could bury or release into the force like every other emotion. Both knew better, both were too wise to believe so.

"We can't," he said softly. She grinned. "I know, but Anakin and Padme have done it" she replied. "They were lucky. You know that they were," he countered.

They sat for a moment in pure silence, thinking a way out of their miserable confinement. "And besides, do you think you still have the ability to love so freely, after all you've been through?" Obi-wan asked; his voice as soft as the whisper of the wind.

Nava looked at him questioningly. What did he…? **_Oh._** She had lost her padawan and master to the Clone War. He had lost his own master and Siri to the Sith **and** war. The scars of loss ran deep, enough to be an unfathomable pain in their souls. And suddenly, she felt the terror she saw in his eyes.

What if she lost him? They were Jedi. Jedi died, and especially in wartime. She could not handle his death, not so easily as the others. The death of Obi-wan would shatter her into too many different pieces.

"_Some things cannot be fixed, padawan"_ painfully, the voice of her former master echoed out to her. Death could not be fixed, and losing another person she loved so dearly? That could not be fixed.

"Perhaps we can work out the details when all of this is over," Obi-wan proposed slowly, ever the_ Negotiator_. He sounded unsure, nonetheless. She nodded. "I agree, just… Just for a moment," she declared. He nodded.

Then they're faces slowly melted closer; Nava felt her heart flutter. His eyes stared into her very soul. Her eyes stared back into his. All she saw was selflessness, compassion, strength, fortitude. Their force signatures blended together in a swirling vortex of weakened Jedi discipline.

He smiled, and the dark side exploded into the palace, followed by swift bodies. Obi-wan raised the comm. link to his lips, interrupting her own. She gave him a teasing glare and he grinned.

War waited for no man, or woman, or their love.

"Master Windu, begin the attack," he ordered, a Jedi once more, instead of the man she knew was buried inside. The combined sound of igniting lightsabers responded as Jedi rushed from the forest below.

Nava pressed her lips to his forehead softly before she stood and together they sped into war. The moment was over.

* * *

NOO! I hope everyone realizes that they've just decided what Obi-wan and siri decided when they realized they were in love. To try and ignore it forever more. And they did not even kiss! Why am I complaining? This is my story. By the way, did anyone recognize that sentence about the eyes? I put it in one of my other stories and just copied it. Oh yah, then there's that battle thingy they're about to lose. Stupid Sith.

~Queen Yoda


	34. Chapter 34

~Palpatine's POV~

"This way, Chancellor," Anakin said. Palpatine stepped over a branch, his long senatorial robes getting stuck in the brush.

Anakin stopped to look back at him upon noticing his struggle. "Oh," he said sheepishly. He turned back and used the force to push the branches aside. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. Palpatine smiled graciously.

"Do not worry, my boy. My goodness, is that the fight I hear?" He knew it was, of course. But Anakin nodded. "Yes, it seems the council has deployed the clones," he chuckled softly. "Stupid Sith," he muttered.

"Clones? I thought most of the clones were on board the cruisers awaiting to go back to Courascant," Palpatine said, utterly confused. Had the Jedi lied to him? To the galaxy? Wasn't Dooku captured?

He looked back the way they had come. Despite the darkness around them and the silence that night provided, he could still hear the screams of death and the buzzing of deadly weapons.

"Most of them. There were still a few battalions left," Anakin said with a dismissive wave of his real hand. He used the force to push aside the remaining branches as they stumbled through the forest.

Palpatine followed, frowning. He could sense that Anakin had lied to him. Anakin had never lied to him. The fact that he was now was a problem.

Suddenly, the dense forest opened into a clearing. The setting sun rested on the spot nicely. A ship rested in place, engines set and ringing to go. "Here we are," Anakin said. Palpatine could sense his unease. He wanted to go fight with the other Jedi, or was there some other reason?

Whatever it was, he couldn't play out his technique any longer. He had to turn Anakin, now. The Jedi were on the edge of dying out. He needed his tool to win. "Anakin," he called softly.

Anakin turned, his expression self-satisfied. "Yes?" he asked absently. "Where is Senator Amidala, pray tell?" His attention snapped back to Sidious, as expected.

"Hiding, with the other senators, Chancellor," he replied slowly. Palpatine nodded and brushed off his sleeve with a sigh. "Truly? I thought the Jedi would have put her in a safer place, since she is pregnant. What if the baby comes early?" He asked.

Anakin was eyeing him warily. "The baby is not due for another few months, I heard, Chancellor," he stated guardedly. "You know children are often born early, my boy. And in this forest," he looked around.

"There isn't much medical attention that can be paid to her. Even the thought of having a child here? It's indescribably terrifying," he said with a fake shiver. Anakin's eyes were burrowing into his with a frightening intensity.

"I'm sure she'll be alright, sir," he answered. Palpatine sighed; his patience was growing thin. There was no more time to lose. Surely the boy could act a bit less trapped with him? Jedi or not, he still didn't like the light side and its ever restricting codes.

"I know. I'm only an old man looking for a way to stall," he sighed. Anakin's brow furrowed. "Stall for what, Chancellor?" He asked. "For you, Anakin. I can give you power, more power than you could ever imagine," the look of shock in his eyes was enough to make Palpatine smile lightly.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, taking a step back. Palpatine took a step forward. "I'm talking about power that you can only dream about, young Skywalker. I have the power to save everyone you love," he nearly whispered. Anakin's eyes widened.

"You're the Sith" he gasped, igniting his saber. His azure eyes clouded over with astonishment and Fury. Palpatine gave a small shrug. "Yes, I am. And I want to offer you something," he said.

"I want **_nothing_** of yours," Anakin hissed with a fair amount of venom. "Interesting, you were content to listen to me before. Tell me, Anakin, would you trust someone so willingly as you did me without a reason?" he asked. He took another step forward, ignoring the lightsaber at his throat.

"You have told me everything, for four years. If I were so evil as you believe all Sith to be, why would I listen to you as well as I did? Why would I sympathize with you?" He smiled wider. Excitement raced through him, he could see Anakin considering his words in his eyes.

"Why would I **_understand_** you?" He asked. Anakin blinked, as if taking into account something, before slowly narrowing his eyes. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Palpatine chuckled softly; things were going according to plan. "I want nothing from you my friend. Except for your loyalty. You've told me how the Jedi manipulated you, how they have used you and blamed you, why are you fighting for them? Those that will only expel you as soon as they find out your secret?" he asked.

He let out a small gasp as Anakin pushed him back with the force. **_"What?"_** he spat. "What are you…? You're not…" he spluttered, his eyes aflame with anger, and yet in his pupils hid fear.

Palpatine smiled and brushed himself off casually. The boy really was very strong in the force. "Yes, Anakin. I know all about you and Senator Amidala. Including the child you harbor inside of her," he sneered. Anakin went pale.

"No. How….?" He shook his head, dispersing all other weakness. "What exactly are you getting at?" He asked. "Come, Anakin. Join the dark side and have a power, a freedom, a life that you never would have imagined. You can end this ridiculous war. You can be able to save, **_everyone_**," he proposed. Anakin glared at him, yet powered down his saber.

"Why? Why do you want me?" He asked. "Because you see the truth about the Jedi. You have defied their ways and fought for them still. You have a great power, which is squandered here, among them. You are, as I have always told you, special" he retorted.

Anakin looked down. "How can you save her?" he asked, softly. "The dark side has power you have never imagined," Anakin crossed his arms.

"What if it doesn't work?" he asked. "Isn't trying better than knowing you could lose her at any time and not be able to do anything about it?" he asked. Anakin glanced at him for a long time, before sighing. "What do I have to do?" he asked, his voice thick with reluctance.

Palpatine grinned, victory.

All of a sudden, a body sailed through the air towards him. Anakin used the force to jerk him away just as Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi landed on the ground with a grunt. Perfect, that was one very good way he could see if Anakin was loyal to him or not.

As if on cue, Anakin glared at Obi-wan and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked. Palpatine smiled and patted his hand. "Fine," he agreed.

Obi-wan shook his head and looked up. His dazed eyes caught sight of them, and Anakin's eyes flickered, was he having second thoughts?

"Remember Padme," he whispered. Anakin's eyes hardened again. He would do whatever it took for Padme to live. "Anakin, you were **_supposed_** to get him out of here," Obi-wan panted at once.

Another person on cue, General Grievous arrived from the forest, all four sabers ignited. Obi-wan jumped up. He cast a glance over his shoulder. "Get him out of here, now!" He ordered.

Palpatine laughed and patted Anakin on the shoulder. "All the Jedi must be eradicated, Anakin. Even him," Anakin looked at him, shock and horror in his eyes. That was to be expected. "But..." he began. **_"Do it!"_** Palpatine bellowed violently as Kenobi and Grievous clashed sabers.

Anakin gulped and nodded. With a sigh, he used the force to jerk Obi-wan back into a tree. Said master gasped as he hit the crude bark and no doubt felt searing pain. Palpatine could have giggled with excitement.

Before he could say anything, though, Anakin slammed him down. Grievous watched Anakin suspiciously, but when he caught sight of Palpatine, he laughed.

This was fun to watch. "Anakin," Kenobi gasped, he looked up, and Palpatine saw a bit of blood drip from his nose. The pure, unrivaled shock in his eyes could have sent a youngling into tears. Anakin didn't flinch.

"What are you **_doing_**?" He asked huskily. Anakin only rammed him into a tree again. Obi-wan dropped to his stomach limply, his saber deactivated and lying at Palpatine's foot. He picked it up, twirling it boredily in his hands.

"Good, Anakin, good! Now, finish him!" Palpatine hissed, his heart sang with triumph. After all of these years, he finally had his **_ultimate_** Sith weapon. He finally had Anakin Skywalker.

"No!" Grievous yelled, enraged. "I want to finish him off!" he screamed. He stomped over to Obi-wan and slammed a clawed foot into his back. Obi-wan jerked in agony, the back of his tunic ripping and small pools of red liquid forming around Grievous's foot.

"General Grievous!" A sudden, sharp voice barked. "Stand down!" Sidious grinned as Darth Tyrannous walked into view. In his hands was a limp Yoda that cast no force signature.

The leader of the Jedi was dead, murdered by his own former padawan. His delight and triumph further increased. "No, Kenobi is mine!" the giant heap of scrap metal screamed, leaning over him possessively.

Palpatine scowled, glaring at the General, he was ruining his plan! But Anakin only smiled graciously. "He's yours," he surrendered cheerfully. Palpatine frowned; about to tell Anakin that Sith didn't give up their kills.

"Wait a minute, though," Anakin further went on, before he could. He looked over at Obi-wan. "Master, did you get it all?" He asked. Obi-wan looked up, his nose still dripping blood and his face bruised. "Yes. It's here," he said, holding up a holo-recorder. Palpatine's triumph disintegrated.

"Good," with that, Anakin, in the time span of fifteen ferocious seconds, snatched Obi-wan's lightsaber from Sidious, pushed him and Dooku back with the force and landed a well-aimed punch to Grievous, catapulting him from Kenobi.

Then, also in the time span of fifteen seconds, Yoda jumped up, taking his lightsaber from his belt and igniting it just as eleven other Jedi masters and a squadron of clones surrounded them.

With that, the Republic and Jedi forces had arrived.

* * *

~Anakin's POV~

"Nice work, you two. You had **_me_** fooled for a moment there," Mace said, a bit breathlessly, as Anakin backed into the circle of Jedi. He glanced at the older man and grinned.

"I'm only glad I didn't start laughing the whole way. You okay, Obi-wan? I didn't mean to slam you that hard," he asked apologetically, worriedly glancing at his best friend, who was swiping off his bloody tunic as he walked up next to him.

"It's quite alright, Anakin, I'll live," Obi-wan said with a wave of his hand. Anakin pursed his lips, but nodded and handed Obi-wan back his saber. He would yell at Obi-wan for endangering himself later. He returned his attention back to the present Separatists, all of whom seemed infuriated.

Anakin smiled at Sidious, who glared at him. "Sorry, Chancellor, but..." He shrugged. "We found out a while ago," he said. "The comm. link," Dooku grumbled. "Exactly," Master Plo confirmed.

"You are under arrest, my lord," Windu growled with a cock of his head. If he had a sense of humor, it had come out now. Sweet. Sidious only smiled maliciously.

The force rang warnings in Anakin's ears. "Foolish child, you should have joined me when you had the chance," he cackled. Anakin narrowed his eyes. "I'm not so naïve as you think," he countered.

"I beg to differ," with that, the fake Chancellor picked a comm. link out of his pocket and spoke into it. "All units; deploy."

* * *

I just want to point something out for the next chapter. Sidious said 'all units; deploy' take that into account. Who else is pumped for the Clone War episode tommorow?


	35. Chapter 35

~Ahsoka's POV~

_ "I want you to promise me you'll be careful, Snips. And do me another favor, alright? Take care of Padme for me. Watch over her,"_ her master's words struck gongs in her mind.

Ahsoka had been planning on keeping an eye on Padme anyway. Nevertheless, she didn't feel**_ that_** guilty for the fact that she was nowhere near the senator when the droids dropped.

Her face must've been very un-heroic, especially to Padme, who was going through contractions the last Ahsoka had seen her. Ahsoka Tano looked up at the sky, which was further littered by Separatist cruisers.**_ Hundreds_** of Separatist cruisers, which dropped droid-holding canisters unto the ground like bombs.

The ground exploded with first dirt and debris, and then with droids. Once again, the Republic was out-numbered, as they had been all throughout the war. Only this time, they were outnumbered and in one place, which equally worsened the situation.

Droids came at them from all sides, joining their Sith counterparts as fighters arced through the sky, dropping bombs once again.

The cruisers had been put away, so the Separatist ships above ruled, and bombarded them with more enemies. All of the clone fighters above sped to meet up with them. There was no droid fighter hopping in this battle, though.

Ahsoka watched in horror as the council's plan slowly unraveled. There were too many droids, too many Sith and too many cruisers. The sky exploded with fire, along with the ground around her.

Lightsabers buzzed together, creating rainbows of light in the smoke as Sith and Jedi continued with their thousand year old fights.

Blue and red blaster bolts combined with the screams of clones and droids alike arched through the air and echoed in her ears painfully. The sun went down, and time seemed to halt.

"Ahsoka!" Intrepid gasped. Ahsoka felt her friend dig her nails into her arm as a bomb was dropped on the forest. It immediately caught aflame. Padme was in danger, along with the rest of the senators. The Separatists wanted no survivors.

"Force," Intrepid, gasped, horror-stricken. **_"Force, this is not good,"_** she gulped. Ahsoka only nodded, slowly, and grabbed Intrepid's arm instinctively as a bomb dropped near them. Neither girl moved. "We have to get to Padme," was that she speaking? She sounded so far away, so hollow.

Intrepid only nodded, and they turned away from the war. Triumph was too far away for them now.

* * *

~Padme's POV~

"Fire! Fire!" the call went from senator to senator as they raced down towards her.

Padme, who had been leaning against a tree with Bail and Chu-chi next to her, looked up from her huffing. The baby wasn't happy, and it was showing her by deciding to put her through excruciating agony.

She blinked as smoke stung her eyes. She could hear the crackle of flames eating at wood. The night blazed red and orange. Padme felt her heart speed into a gallop and she grabbed Bail's hand.

"Help me up," she ordered breathlessly. He nodded and they put their arms around her, quickly carrying her downhill, towards the fighting. That was the only place they could go.

_"Padme, I know you only want to help, but you have to remember that these are__** Sith**__ we're talking about. We are not fighting droids this time. Sith can block blaster bolts," _Anakin's voice chuckled in her mind.

These were Sith; they could take anything she could throw at them. She still had to try. For Anakin, for Obi-wan, for Ahsoka and Intrepid and Nava.

"We have to find Ahsoka!" Chu-Chi yelled, reading her frantic mind. Padme let out a groan as the baby kicked her stomach. Her baby, she could not let anything happen to it. **_Nothing_** would happen to her child.

The heat of the fire came closer, the crackling of flames echoing in her ears as if strange incantations. Padme gritted her teeth as she saw the fighting zone. It was… Horrible. She had never seen such a violent setting, and Anakin had never spoken of a battle that looked like _**this**_.

Would her child be force-sensitive? If it were, she did not care what Anakin said, he or she would** not** be Jedi. He would not be allowed to see such a sight. Such cruelty and hopelessness.

How would the Jedi fix this? How could **_anyone_** fix anything like this? The forest flames jumped high above the trees. Bail and Chu-chi half dragged her along. Padme shook her head, driving herself out of her thoughts and struggled to straighten out.

"Where can we go? The fighting is…" Bail did not finish, but stared at the zone they were running towards anxiously. She could hear the terror in his voice. She felt it in her own heart. Along with fury. She was furious because they didn't deserve this.

The senate may have been corrupt, yes, but they did not deserve this. The Jedi may have helped along the corruption, but they**_ really_** did not deserve this. The clones followed orders blindly but they deserved this least of all. And she and her family? They did **not** deserve this.

Suddenly, Padme straightened out herself, stopping dead in her tracks. Both of her friends turned back to stare at her as if she had gone mad.

Padme felt as if she had. Mad with anger. She was sick of war, sick of hatred, sick of **_everything_**. With that thought, she grabbed a blaster. "Padme," Bail began. But he stopped when he saw the look in her eyes.

"Right," he said, also digging a blaster out of his vest. "Let's go," they looked at Chu-chi, who grinned and grabbed a blaster from her shirt.

"Well, I did promise Master Kenobi I'd make the peace last," she said with a devilish grin. Padme smiled and together, the three of them raced into battle.

* * *

Who else knew Padme would run into battle witha blaster, despite the fact that she's pregnant? I got to say, Anakin really did pick a strong but slightly insane woman. To clear up any confusion about where the heck these guys are, just go to the first page of the story. It explains all of that. Next chapter is a fight between Obi-wan, Anakin and Sidious!

~Queen Yoda


	36. Chapter 36

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Obi-wan go!" Mace ordered. Obi-wan, who had been on his way anyway, doubled his pace.

With a grunt of exertion, he leapt for the ship, which was slowly rising from the ground. His fingertips brushed the edge of the ship. _No!_ He used the force to pull himself up higher.

Finally, he grabbed the edge of the rising vessel. He glanced down at his Jedi brethren, who all fought a superior force in the clearing below. There was only Dooku and Grievous left, but they were enough of a challenge alone, added when they were together.

The entire council and the clones had not been able to handle them. Thus, as they were discovering this, Sidious had boarded the ship and was about to take off.

Anakin was above him, fighting the Sith aggressively. His cobalt eyes were ardent with rage as the forest a few miles ahead of them crackled with fire. The same fire was reflected in Anakin's eyes, which worried Obi-wan less than how well he was doing.

He pulled himself into the small space, ignoring the stinging pain from his back and nose, both of which were still bleeding. Anakin glanced at him as Sidious forced him further back with force lightning. Obi-wan used the force to crush Sidious into the wall behind him.

"How we doin?" Anakin gasped, panting hard as Obi-wan made his way to his side. "Horribly," Obi-wan responded, just as breathless.

"How long until the fire reaches us?" Obi-wan shook his head; he had not gotten a chance to calculate. Anakin nodded and looked up just as Sidious jumped back to his feet. He laughed maniacally.

"Foolish Jedi, do you see it now? Your downfall? It was inevitable," he cackled. Obi-wan felt his determination harden for the millionth time in the past three months since they had been on planet. "Maybe so. But it's not going to happen today," he panted.

"You are no match for me," Anakin's jaw clenched. "You underestimate us, Sidious. We aren't renowned for nothing," Obi-wan glanced at him, wanting to point out that they probably were, but refrained.

Sidious sprang for them. Obi-wan and Anakin were known for being expert swordsmen, and even more so when they were together. But Sidious was beyond both of their abilities apparently.

Blue lightsabers clashed against a red one with deep effort. Nonetheless, Sidious was gaining ground, and quickly. _Focus, Obi-wan, look for weakness, any weakness,_ Qui-gon's voice rang in his mind. _Yes, master_.

Obi-wan studied the Sith. To his shock, the once passive and docile Chancellor was switching techniques so quickly that there was no gap in his fighting. None at all. He clenched his jaw. Not his fighting, there was no mistakes in that, but in his attitude.

_ He's overconfident_, he thought, letting his arms go into auto-pilot. _He believes he's going to win anyway. If he strikes one of us down, he does not expect us to get back up. It would catch him off guard, which is what we need_. Obi-wan nearly smiled, for the eighth time that night, he was going to get slammed around. Fantastic.

At least he got to save the Order as he did so.

Swallowing his pride, Obi-wan swerved his arm around in a move that they **_all _**knew would leave him open.

Sidious did not hesitate to slash his lightsaber across Obi-wan's stomach, making a long cut, and the force of the blow pushing him from the ship.

"Obi-wan! No!" Anakin yelled as he plummeted over the side. His head stuck over the side, and Obi-wan saw the desperation in his eyes. _It probably would have been a good idea to tell Anakin ahead of time,_ he contemplated through his pain.

Ignoring that thought, he gathered the force around him as Anakin turned back to the fight and he fell to the ground.

_Mace!_ He called through the force. _Give me a boost!_ The elder master turned just as Obi-wan landed, unsteadily, on his feet in an instinctive turn that had saved his life many times.

Obi-wan crouched, ready to use the force as spring. Master Windu lifted his hand, and the extra force use catapulted Obi-wan from the ground and back into the ship.

Grabbing the ledge of the ship again, Obi-wan swung himself inside forcefully and shooting past Anakin, landed a well-aimed kick to Sidious's stomach.

Surprised by Obi-wan's reoccurrence, the Sith fell back against the ship's wall, his lightsaber flying from his hand, which Anakin deftly caught. Three lightsabers, one his own, were now pointed at his neck.

"Well," Obi-wan gasped, struggling to ignore the added sting of his stomach cut. He had gone through worse, certainly, and it was not exactly bleeding very much, but he had been beaten enough for one night. "That plan worked," he panted.

Anakin cast him an incredulous glance. "Force, master, can you warn me next time? You gave me a heart attack," he breathed. Obi-wan smiled wanly. "I think I gave **_myself _**a heart attack," he agreed.

"Fools!" The Sith shouted at them, spit streaming out of his mouth inelegantly. "Ah, shut **_up_**," Anakin snarled, jabbing his lightsaber at him. "I'm tired of your jabbering. You're worse than Dooku," he said.

Sidious only narrowed his eyes. "You think you've won, don't you?" he asked softly. "Judging by how many lightsabers we have compared to you, I'd say we **_have _**won," Obi-wan pointed out. A ghostly smile slithered up Sidious's face. Obi-wan felt a shiver go up his spine. He had never seen a smile as insane as that one.

Suddenly, the force blared a warning in his ear. "Anakin, look out!" He gasped. He grabbed the younger man by the shirt and pulled him out of the way of General Grievous, who struck at them with a clawed foot. "Uh, come **on**!" Anakin yelled, exasperated. Obi-wan had to admit he was irritated too. Where was the rest of the council?

Below, defending themselves against the hoard of droids that had surrounded them. **_Blast_**. Obi-wan looked around, only to see Dooku and Grievous standing near the doorway and Darth Sidious rising from where he had been on the ground, laughing.

He could feel the ship rising still. Either they got off and lived or they stayed on board with the evil sith and got tortured to death. Obi-wan preferred life.

Anakin seemed to share his thoughts. Without so much as a backward glance, both men used the force to soar over Dooku and Grievous and back to land.

They landed with a soft thump on the ground amidst the other council members, who were starting to separate and retreat into the forest. Obi-wan exchanged a glance with Anakin as the ship rose steadily higher, almost as if it were mocking them. Obi-wan had no doubts that that was exactly what Dooku and Sidious were doing.

He could feel Anakin's rage as sharply as his own. They had escaped. The Sith leaders had escaped. He suddenly felt old, very frail and very afraid. The air seemed to chill despite the approaching fire, and the force darkened with Sith-like malice, the light side that had been around with the Jedi vanishing.

Obi-wan sighed and turned to the droids. "Come," he ordered Anakin tiredly. He was so exhausted, and the night had not even begun yet. "The fire is getting closer, and we need to find the others. Perhaps there is a way yet," of course there was, there was always a way.

He just had no clue what it was.

Anakin nodded; his jaw tight with anger and glared at the red saber in his hand. Obi-wan suddenly saw a spark of yellow in his friend's navy eyes, and it scared him even more than the escaping Sith.

This is what this kriffing war had made of his beloved student; it had made him into a warrior. For the first time, he was glad not to be Anakin's enemy.

Because he knew, as acutely as he knew himself, that Anakin was swearing eternal vengeance.


	37. Really bad timing

~Padme's POV~

Padme did not know, actually, when or how they had teamed up with Captain Rex and Commander Cody, but they had.

And by the gungans was she glad. She had stumbled about ten times already, the pain of contraction sometimes sending her to her knees.

Each time, either clone had stepped over her with blaster raised, creating a shield of their own bodies like protective guard dogs. They had killed seven Sith between them with only blasters.

She was suddenly extremely grateful to them for having watched over her family the past four years. How Anakin had gotten hurt the hundreds of times he had with Rex around, she did **_not _**know. The same for Ahsoka and Obi-wan with Cody.

"Thank you, Captain," Bail gasped as he jumped back to his feet, gasping and choking on the gritty air. He had been forced to his knees by a droid.

"Those droids have thick armor, sir," Rex replied nonchalantly through his helmet. "Shoot at the arms, it throws them off balance!" Cody added.

"How much ammo you got, Cody?" Rex asked as they all resumed shooting. "Not much. We need to find a Jedi. Where **_is _**everyone?" Cody answered. "Ahsoka should be looking for us!" Padme shouted.

"She sent us," Rex agreed. "She got caught up with a Sith," Padme's stomach rolled with anxiety. That child had better not get hurt again. "What about General Kenobi?" Bail further asked; how he managed to still use the Jedi's politically correct name was beyond her.

Padme could almost imagine a wry smile under Cody's helmet forming. "I have no clue where he is. I generally don't. We're on our own in that category," he half chuckled. "What about Anakin?" She asked.

Rex snorted. "He's probably following Kenobi around somewhere. Thus, he'll be of no help either. We've gotta find the kid," by kid, he assumedly meant Ahsoka who seemed to be of more help to the clones than either grown men.

No surprise there.

All of a sudden, a sharp, shooting pain catapulted itself through her. Padme cried out and dropped to her knees, dropping her blaster. Rex stepped over her, protecting her fallen spot.

Panic swiftly rushed through her as she felt a sudden pop inside of her stomach. _Oh, come on_, She thought miserably.

Chu-chi knelt beside her, Cody taking her place. "Padme? Are you alright?" she asked. Padme shook her head, breathing erratically. This **had** to be Anakin's child, no kriffing doubt about it.

"The…" she cried out again. "Baby is coming!"

* * *

~Nava's POV~

Another clone dropped. Another Jedi dropped. She could feel it through the force. Neither were breathing. Bant was dead. Garen was dead. Who else was dead?

The fire had died down, mostly because there was no more forest for it to devour. The Sith, though, seemingly fond of this fire element had set the palace aflame as well. Fire surrounded the battlefield on both sides.

It seemed her entire world was made of fire.

Nava had longed stopped breathing out of her nose, though the grit and dirt clogged her throat with a dryness that made her cough violently. She had been one of the first to discover a way. The _**only**_ way they were going to get out of this fight alive. She was sure Obi-wan would be proud.

Obi-wan, where was he?

Never the matter, he could take care of himself. She had to protect these ships. Ahsoka and Intrepid were beside her, of course. They were the only three Jedi amongst the thousands of clones. Gunships and fighters were being frantically prepped behind them.

"I still don't like this plan!" Ahsoka called. begrudgingly. Neither did she. But it was the only way. "Humility, Ahsoka!" She coughed in return. Ahsoka smiled back, but it was bitter.

She, too, could sense the death that came with this battle. The last battle; and the Republic was not going to win.

Nava glanced at Intrepid, whose face was grim. _How are you doing, my apprentice?_ She asked through their bond. Intrepid glanced at her. _I sense a disturbance in the force._ Who didn't? There were millions going on.

"Commander!" Rex's voice, the same voice of the clones around them, echoed over to Nava from Ahsoka's comm. link. "What's up, Rex? Did you find the senators I asked you too?" Ahsoka gasped. Nava could have slapped herself. She had forgotten all about the senators.

_Why isn't this girl a knight yet?_ She wondered ironically.

"Yes, sir. But we have a problem," Rex said. "What **_now_**?" Intrepid groaned for Ahsoka. Nava had to smile, since her first thought when Intrepid had said that was, _complaining is not the Jedi way_. Truly, she was insane.

"The senator went into labor," Nava sighed. Intrepid stumbled and Ahsoka spluttered. They all looked at each other, thinking the exact same thing. "Now you **_know_** that that is Anakin's child," Ahsoka laughed huskily. The other two giggled in agreement.

The night, as terrible as it was, suddenly brightened. Laughter was the universe's best medicine.

"Take her somewhere safe, Rex. I'm on my way," she said. "**_We_** are," Intrepid corrected, and then looked at her. "Do you have it?" She asked anxiously. Nava waved her hand dismissively. Of course not, but they did not need to know that. "Go, the both of you. Wish her luck for me," she said.

But Intrepid shook her head resolutely. "If you don't go, then I will not either," she said. Nava sighed, when her padawan spoke in that tone, it meant that there was no persuading her otherwise. She was incredibly stubborn.

She opened her mouth to protest. "I will not leave you here alone, master," Intrepid interrupted sternly. Her green eyes flashed with a rare defiance bred of loyalty.

Ahsoka looked between the two, hands on her hips. "Well, **_one_** of you has to come with me because I know I am **_not_** delivering this baby myself," they both looked at her.

What could they do?

"Rex!" Intrepid suddenly gasped. "Can't he come take over?" She asked. "He can't fight Sith, Intrepid," Nava pointed out. Ahsoka snorted. "You have not met Rex. He can take down Sith as easily as droids. How do you think he's survived with me and Anakin?" She asked. She instantly ordered the clone to her side.

"Good, when Rex gets here, we go," Intrepid looked at her for confirmation. Nava scowled, she really shouldn't… "Okay," she said, persuaded by Intrepid's large green eyes.

Nava sighed and looked at Ahsoka. "Perhaps we should let the father know about his baby?" She proposed. Ahsoka gave a start. "Right," she agreed. Nava smiled. She wasn't a knight yet.


	38. Who wants to tell the husband?

~Anakin's POV~

"Hay! Hay, Skywalker! Master hello! Can you answer me please?" Ahsoka's urgent voice demanded for the sixth time.

Anakin let out another long breath and a vile curse, he was at the very end of his patience rope, and she wanted to call him now, of all times? If she wasn't dead, dying or winning the battle, he was going to kill her himself.

"**_What_**, Snips?" he barked into the stupid contraption that she was using to annoy him. "Where are you?" All of that to ask him where he was? Yep, she was **_going_** to die, and what was that noise behind her? Almost as if someone were screaming. "I have no clue," he growled. He was not lying; he really had no clue where he was.

The battle had proceeded so far as a maze of Sith, droids, bombs and dying troops.

"Why?" He wondered grumpily. He had an Empire to squander; he had no time to kriffing chat. "Your wife is in labor," he took a step back, as if he had been slapped.

"What?" he gasped. "Yep, Sky-guy," she said, simply. He felt the breath knocked out of his lungs. His head spun. She was in….? Force, why now? Why, _**of all times**_, now? His dream danced before his eyes. Her anguished face and cries of pain were as loud as bells in his ears.

"Where is she?" He asked, breathless with fear. "In _The Twilight_. Intrepid, Master Venerate and I are with her. Her water has already broken. She wants you," she said.

Anakin gulped, his wife was giving birth in _The Twilight?_ With Ahsoka? Now? Blast, couldn't she hold it or something?

"I'm on my way," he said. "Hurry!" Ahsoka retorted, as the screaming in the background got worse. Anakin forced his racing heart to slow. _Obi-wan,_ he called shakily through the bond.

"Yes?" somehow, the blasted person was behind him all of a sudden, his face and voice perfectly calm. Anakin turned, and when Obi-wan saw his face, he grabbed him by the shoulder. "Padme?" he knew him so well.

He nodded. "Now?" How did he know any of this? Anakin nodded again. "Where?" single words, and yet so comforting. "_The Twilight,"_ Anakin gulped, his voice shook with dread.

"Are the girls….?" Anakin nodded for the third time, dumbly. Sith he could take, universe domination by Sith was easy, and the fall of the Republic was even less worrying than this. Obi-wan hadn't trained him for **this**.

"I think so," they made such a good team though. He had not even spoken more than six words yet and they were on the exact same page. "Well, let's go," Force, what would he do without Obi-wan? "The battle…" He pointed out weakly.

Obi-wan looked at the fighting happening round them. He suddenly looked a thousand years older than he truly was. Anakin knew what he was fighting himself over. He was reluctant to leave the other Jedi. He wanted to fight, if not beside them, then for them.

Finally, the elder Jedi shook his head, making up his mind. "There isn't anything we can do now…" Not defeat; or retreat, just…. Patience. For once, Anakin didn't mind that. He honestly did not care right now. "Right. Let's move," he had to move or he would die of worry.

Obi-wan nodded and the two of them headed for the palace, which held the _Twilight_.

Sidious's words played over and over in his mind. _"There isn't much medical attention that can be paid to her. Even the thought of having a child here? It's indescribably terrifying,"_ Terrifying indeed.

* * *

My gosh, Padme has terrible timing doesn't she? Or, I should say that Luke and Leia do. Ah, well, just another day in the life of our legendary heroes. Who else was devastated to hear George Lucas is selling Star Wars to _**disney**_? I nearly died of shock.

~Queen Yoda


	39. A birth, retreat and utter defeat

~Intrepid's POV~

"She can aim, at least," her master grumbled as she rubbed her now stinging face. A purplish bruise was growing on her right cheek, a consequence of telling Padme Amidala to breathe and getting a sharp kick in response.

"She certainly can," Ahsoka agreed, the two of them winced as Padme squeezed their hands again. Intrepid heard a crack in her wrist. Ahsoka bit her bottom lip in pain.

"Where**_ is_** he?" Intrepid asked, going to the large windows and peering out. Clones still defended the ship with their lives, next to all of the **_Senators_**, of all people.

She loved the clones. She had no clue where their loyalty came from, though. As for the senators, she had not known bravery existed in them, nor cunning, they were actually ducking bolts.

"Didn't he say he'd be here?" She asked. "Almost two hours ago," Ahsoka agreed breathlessly. Her master sat between Padme's legs, waiting for the child to arrive. A blanket was thrown over Padme's legs.

Padme's hair had fallen out of its braid and now stuck out in every direction, including Intrepid's face. Intrepid could quite easily sense her pain through the force.

"Come on, girly," Nava began again, her voice tinged with rare anxiety. Intrepid frowned; her master's calm was rarely broken. It was impenetrable. Was there something wrong?

"Padme, I need you to push, alright? Hard; this time. Intrepid, Ahsoka, use the force to ease her pain. Altogether now," she instructed. Intrepid quickly gathered the force, wrapping Padme in its warmth and strength. Ahsoka did the same. "One, two… Three!" Padme threw her head back, screaming as she pushed.

"I can't!" Padme suddenly gasped, cutting off the pressure. Tears ran down her face. "I can't do this," she whimpered. "Yes, you can," Ahsoka growled, squeezing her hand.

Intrepid gently brushed a strand of hair from her sweat-coated face. "We're going to help you, Padme. We're here. Tell us what you want us to do," Intrepid told her firmly. Padme glanced at her with agonized eyes.

"Get. It. Out," came the answer from between clenched teeth. "Them, actually," Ahsoka corrected. Both women looked up. "I hear two sets of heartbeats," Ahsoka explained; her left montrals pressed gently against Padme' stomach. Predatory hearing came in handy, Intrepid knew. "I sense it too," Nava agreed softly.

Padme let out a cry of anguish. "I can't do this. Not without Anakin," she panted. Intrepid nearly laughed out-loud. "Anakin? Forget him! Your one of the most independent woman in the galaxy. Besides, you have us," she pointed out cheerfully.

Padme smiled feebly. "Intrepid has a point," Nava added. "We did save Anakin about a month ago, remember? After we get done with this, we might have to go save his kriffing backside again. I know this is hard, Padme, but we're here. We got your back. We are going to get these children out, but we need you to believe that, alright?" She asked.

Intrepid looked down to see Padme staring back at them thoughtfully. She looked up at Ahsoka. "Can we?" She asked weakly. Ahsoka smiled and patted her shoulder. "Absolutely," she said warmly. A Jedi-like determination spread through the senator. "Okay," she said doggedly.

"Good. Here we go, best day of your life. Ahsoka, get down here. Bant never taught me about **_this_**, but I am sure I can figure it out as we go. I need you to catch the babies, clean your hands and get something like a towel, now," Ahsoka jumped up and ran to do as she was told.

"Intrepid, get behind her, hold her down. And use the force to calm her, got it?" Intrepid scrambled up. "Got it," she reported as she sat behind Padme, gently putting her head on her lap. She laid a hand on the senator's forehead; summoning the force and making it flow through her.

Padme let out a sigh of relief and relaxed slowly as the force wafted around her body like waves of water. "Push, Padme," Nava ordered. Ahsoka hurried back in, her hands clean and a bundle of blankets in her hands. She sat behind Nava.

The force trembled with determination as Padme's entire body went terse. Intrepid held down her arms as she trembled with fatigue. "Come **_on_**, Padme! I see a head!" Nava squeaked, her eyes alighting with an emotion Intrepid had never seen.

Suddenly, a scream broke through the air. Padme's stomach deflated considerably. A small, pale, screeching bundle was quickly passed via the force to Ahsoka, who wrapped it in a towel. "Boy!" Nava called. Unease swept away as the boys' screams resonated.

Padme grinned, and then started to shake again. "One more!" Nava announced. Intrepid gently stroked Padme's forehead. "Come on, Padme, don't give up. We've have been through way too much for you to give it all up now," she murmured into her ear. Padme squeezed her hand. "Sweetie, no one… Is giving up yet," she gasped.

Intrepid felt her heart flex. _Sweetie_.

Then there was another scream. Padme's stomach fell flat. Nava passed the next baby on to Ahsoka, who laughed as she wrapped it up. There were tears in her eyes. Intrepid grinned and stroked Padme's hair back. "Nice job, senator," she breathed, relieved. "Girl!" Nava announced, falling onto her back.

"Force. We are just **_awesome,"_** Ahsoka laughed. "We birthed two twins during a battle. Someone oughta write this down," she said. Padme held out her arms. "Baby. My babies; please," she gasped.

"Padme," Ahsoka walked over and crouched next to them. "It is my **_pleasure_** to introduce your son and your daughter. What are you going to name them?" she asked as she handed Padme the children one at a time.

Padme stared into their faces gingerly. Her expression lit up in a way Intrepid had never seen, despite four years of war and meeting hundreds of mothers.

Happiness, delight, excitement, pride all amalgamated together on her face. Tears streaked down her cheeks in giant droplets.

"I… I don't know," she wavered. "What should we name them?" She asked. Nava sat up and cocked her head before going to the window. "We?" Intrepid wondered. Padme grinned. "Well, I couldn't have done it without the help of you all, now could I have?" She countered.

Intrepid looked at Ahsoka and Nava. "No, I suppose not," Nava sighed dramatically, turning back. "What about light?" Ahsoka offered. Padme nodded. "Luke," she agreed.

"And peace," Nava sighed, glancing out of the window. Not even the war outside could dim their spirits though. "Leia," Padme breathed.

Intrepid grinned, her heart beginning to burst. "Luke and Leia," Padme nodded and grinned, looking down at her newborns. "I love it," they all did.

* * *

~Anakin's POV~

Anakin ran into _The Twilight_, almost four hours after he said he would be there, and what he found surprised him little, but depressed him much. He had missed the birth of his child, but he was seated snugly in Padme's arms. Or, was there**_ two_**?

He stopped dead in his tracks. Ahsoka sat on Padme's right while Intrepid sat on her left, both leaning over her to coo at the children. Nava leaned against the console, glancing every so often behind her at the battle outside through the wide windows.

It was past midnight.

He sucked in a slow breath as they all looked up. Padme was covered in sweat, her face still flushed with effort, but her smile was as radiant as he had ever seen it.

Nava, Ahsoka and Intrepid were covered in dust from the outside and they looked bone-tired, but they, too, were smiling peacefully.

"I suppose we missed it," Obi-wan said from behind him. Nava chuckled and nodded. "Yep, you missed it by about an hour," she yawned.

"Ani," Padme called softly. "Come look. We had twins," twins? Well, that explained why she had two infants in her arms. He tentatively walked over and sat beside her.

The twins were wrapped in survival blankets, but he could still see them, sleeping placidly. Two tiny faces with soft brown tufts atop their scalps. Joy immobilized him. He felt tears of bliss sting at his eyes. Obi-wan leaned over his shoulder curiously, studying them.

"They look like Padme," he marveled. Anakin sighed happily. "Master, you messed up my moment," he accused, holding out his arm to take one.

Padme handed him the boy. His son. He looked so happy, so peaceful. His little shard of peace in a bundle of organs and life. Love, immeasurable, endless love grew in his chest, hard and strong.

Obi-wan didn't answer, instead walking over to Nava and whispering something in her ear. Her face turned somber and she nodded.

"What…?" Anakin gasped, turning his attention back to the twins. "Did you already name them? And what happened? How did you birth them here, with no medical supplies or drugs or anything?" He asked incredulously.

Padme laughed. "I had the help of my Jedi friends, for that," she said, waving at the three women in the room. "I couldn't have done it without them," she said.

Anakin gulped, without Ahsoka, Intrepid and Nava, would his dream have come true? It did not matter now, he owed them everything. Every kriffing thing. He would forever be grateful.

"We named them," Ahsoka answered his other question. He smiled. "What?" he asked, handing Padme back the boy as she passed him his daughter. Her face was so small, so sweet. Sweetness, goodness, all in one face and life. He vowed to protect them **_with_** his life.

"The boy is named Luke," Padme told him. "Light?" Obi-wan asked. She nodded, "It was Ahsoka's idea," she said, waving at her. Anakin gave his padawan his biggest grin, which she returned. "And the baby girl is peace, Leia," Nava announced. "Her idea, of course," Intrepid laughed.

Anakin laughed, and felt a tear run down his cheek. He loved them so much already, more than he ever thought he could love. He had never felt this amount of it before; it nearly overwhelmed him with joy.

Suddenly, the ground shook with another bomb. Padme and Anakin held the children closer to them as all other hands went to their lightsabers, ready to defend Anakin's children. Reality came rushing back at him. They were in a battle. Jedi and clones were dying. There was no way out. They could all die.

"Ani," Padme whispered. He looked up and saw the same terror in her eyes. Only a few hours in the world, and their children could die. Peace and goodness, gone forever. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at Obi-wan. "Any ideas?" he asked. "We were just discussing that, actually," Obi-wan said with a reassuring nod.

"Before we came to Padme, we were protecting the cruisers and gunships. The only way anyone is going to escape this battle alive is if we can escape with those ships," Nava explained.

"What?" Anakin gasped. "We're going to **run**? But the Separatists will win the war! Sidious will turn the Republic into an Empire, we'll be galactic **_criminals_**!" he pointed out, aghast.

Nava nodded. "We know, Anakin, but it's that or we all die and he wins anyway. Live to fight another day," she said helplessly. Anakin scowled and looked down at his children.

They had to live; they had to… He had promised that he would make sure they did not grow up in war, but failing at that, could he make sure they lived at all? He had too; he loved them both too much already. He couldn't lose them.**_ Any_** of them.

"Are they ready?" Padme asked, thinking the same as he. "The gunships? I don't know," she said. "Rex, you still there?" Ahsoka asked into her comm. link. Anakin felt a burst of pride grow in his chest. His padawan had been through so much, she had **_done _**so much. She had changed.

"Yes, commander," came his captains exhausted voice. "The gunships and cruisers, are they…?" Rex interrupted halfheartedly. "Yes, sir. The cruisers are in the air and the gunships are flying around picking up troops," he reported.

Anakin felt the breath fly from his lungs. Relief mingled with sorrow. They had lost; the Republic would crumple. All the Jedi had done, every man and woman who had died had died in vain.

"Good, Anakin, pilot the _Twilight _to the _Resolute_. Take Padme aboard. I'll meet you there," Obi-wan instructed; his expression somber and voice tired. Anakin nodded. "I will," he agreed. "Oh, no you don't, you are **_injured_** Obi-wan Kenobi," Nava said, poking Obi-wan in the ribs.

He looked down, as if noticing for the first time that he was covered in blood. "Ah, yes. Don't worry Nava, I'll be fine," Anakin opened his mouth, about to protest, but Obi-wan gave him a pointed look, silencing him. "I'm going with him, master," Ahsoka said, standing.

**_Now_**, Anakin opened his mouth to protest. "No, Ahsoka, I'm not letting you go out there," he said firmly. Ahsoka put her hands on her hips and turned to him. Her deep blue eyes dug into his in a silencing Jedi glare. He matched it. Ahsoka sighed.

**_ "_**Master, I'm okay," she said. "You're also tired. We**_ all_** need some rest," Anakin retorted sternly. He looked around, meeting them each in the eye. He would not lose the twins, and he would not lose his family.

****Nava didn't seem to agree. Without a word, she walked out. Intrepid, Obi-wan and Ahsoka followed. Anakin looked at Padme, and couldn't help but think that he had missed something.


	40. Chapter 40

~Ahsoka's POV~

"Jedi scum! Run! Run like the cowards you are!" The Sith woman screeched in laughter as she shook a fist at the retreating gunship.

Ahsoka tightened her grip on Master Plo; who was gasping raggedly for breath. Ahsoka knew his mask had probably gotten clogged with dirt.

The ship suddenly took a wild swerve, nearly throwing its inhabitants from the ship as it ducked a bomber shooting at it.

Said bomber followed them, shooting rapidly. Ahsoka inhaled sharply as Master Yoda sighed and scrambled atop the vessel, deflecting the shots fired at the ship from behind.

One of the bolts bounced back, hitting the droid's engine. It sunk to the ground in flames. "Lil Soka'" Master Plo wheezed. She looked down at him.

His muscles were slowly relaxing. She felt his force signature fading. _No,_ she thought desperately. Frantically, she turned him over on his back.

The ship lowered again and Obi-wan, Nava and Master Windu pulled extra Jedi and clones on board, filling the already cramped space even more.

Ahsoka looked down, the vessel was getting too crowded, yet no one was paying any attention to them; since they were in the very back corner. No one saw her role model, her substitute father and friend dying.

Ahsoka stared at him. She had never seen his eyes, only the small grill that separated his eyes from the universe. The elation she had felt when Luke and Leia were born withered in her chest. Grief threatened to choke her. She felt tears clog her throat. Her heart hammered in her chest.

"Master," she gasped, and then because of her lack of breathing, had to stop. A large, clawed hand that had once scared her came up to rest heavily on her shoulder. She gulped. "Master, hold on," she whispered.

He chuckled softly. "Lil Soka', strength only goes so far," why did he have to do this?

Or, worse yet, why hadn't she listened to Anakin? She could have been aboard _The Resolute_, not watching her mentor die. He had found her on her home planet of Shili. He had brought her to the Jedi temple where she belonged. He had **_saved_** her.

Yet she could not save him. No matter how much she wished she could.

"Your strength, though, it's special. I saw… I saw it in you. You're special," he let out a slow wheeze that made Ahsoka jump. She had never seen someone struggling so hard to breath, he was wheezing and coughing, the sound reminded her of Grievous.

It terrified her. Master Plo was strong. He was her role model; she had stayed connected to him since she had been brought to the temple at the age of three. He was like the father she had never had. She needed him to get through the war to come.

Another Sith war, and he got the luxury of death. While she had to continue living in infamy. In misery. She felt a tear run down her cheek. She opened her mouth and then closed it. She looked down. "Lil Soka'" she couldn't look up. She couldn't watch.

"Ahsoka," his voice was slightly urgent now. She blinked and looked up; his face was blurred by her tears. "Don't give up…. No matter what. Not on the Republic, the senate, or the Jedi. Stay strong…. Stay…. Stay… Strong, little one," his hand fell from her shoulder, and his force signature died away.

Ahsoka felt something within her chest crack. And then it started to sear in agony. He was dead. Master Plo was dead. "Ahsoka!" Intrepid pushed through the crowd and looked down at her.

When she saw Master Plo; she stopped. "I'm sorry," a warm body knelt beside her and out a hand on her shoulder. Ahsoka didn't move, or speak. Her eyes stayed glued on her oldest friend.

She would never see him again.

Obi-wan walked up, and his face fell when he saw the dead Master. "Oh, no," he mumbled, just as he did with Master Piell. But Master Piell hadn't been a father to her. He had not been so important. He had not broken her heart with his death. Even in four years of war, she had never felt a pain like this.

Her soul screamed with angst. Her body trembled with sorrow. Her eyes burned with tears of rage. Yet she kept her eyes glued to her dead friend, her expression shut down.

"We need more room!" Mace called from up front. Obi-wan met her eyes, and she read the question in them. It was cruel, it was not the Jedi Way, and it was not what Master Plo deserved, but it was what he would have wanted. Ahsoka knew that. She nodded silently and Obi-wan slowly lifted Master Plo with the force.

She closed her eyes as his body was dumped back into the battle zone. Discarded and thrown back into the barrage of Sith, who would disrespect and repulse his corpse. Another clone was pulled into the ship. More dead Jedi and senators were thrown over. Death was all around.

Intrepid touched her hand hesitantly. "Ahsoka?" She asked softly. Ahsoka felt a chin dig in between her montrals. Nava put her arms around her, squeezing her into a hug. Ahsoka melted into the embrace, suddenly wishing beyond wish for Anakin.

But he wasn't there, he had not been raised amongst the other Jedi, he did not know this grief. He could **_never_** know this grief.

She could never speak to him about this, ever. _Master Plo wanted me to be strong_, she thought. _So I will be. I will be,_ she sucked in a deep breath, making the hard rock of pain in her chest form itself into resolve.

The pain stayed, but it also lessened. Obi-wan knelt in front of her. Her other big brother. For the first time, she saw in his eyes everything he was feeling. Grief, sorrow and defeat. Yet resolve lay in his eyes, too. The resolve of a Jedi. The Jedi she would have to be to fulfill Master Plo's last dying wish.

"Don't tell Anakin?" She requested. She would not burden her master with this. Obi-wan nodded, but she knew he was lying. It was alright; she hadn't wanted him to tell the truth.

* * *

~Obi-wan's POV~

_ "Don't tell Anakin?"_ No, Anakin could never know this grief. As much as Obi-wan loved his adoptive son, he would not understand. He would probably make it worse with his somber nods and sympathy. He did not know what to say or do because he could not feel this.

He could never be as deep-rooted a Jedi as they.

He sighed and hung on to the gunships side as it rose higher into the air. The palace and forest had burned out, and the smoke still stung his eyes, lifting into the air as if a great cloud of odd darkness.

The dead Jedi had been left behind. There had not been enough room. There were barely enough Jedi alive as it was. It wasn't right.

Yet it was what had happened. They would rectify it, of that Obi-wan had no doubt. Maybe not in his lifetime, but the Jedi would rise again; he did not despair over that. There was still hope.

He was sad over the friends he had lost. Bant was gone, somewhere in the mass of bodies below. Quin-lan probably rested beside her. So was Garen, three of his closest friends that he would never see again. They had known him since he was a youngling.

They had seen him through his childhood and up until now. They knew his past and who he was. They were dead. Obi-wan felt a tear run down his cheek. He would spend a lot of time meditating**_ this_** pain away.

Mace put a hand on his shoulder, squeezed, and walked back to attend to the wounded. The most emotion that he would give.

Nava walked up behind him. He felt a soft hand slip into his as the doors slowly closed on the scene of Sith and droids. The pain from his wounds were nothing compared to the agony in his soul.

Yet he would carry on, as he always had. He would push grief into the locked safe that was his heart until one day it filled with too much pain. That would probably be his dying day, so it was all right.

There was still Nava, his love. And Ahsoka, who sat in Intrepid's arms behind them, tears running soundlessly down her face. There was Anakin, oblivious yet a comfort. There was Padme; he could use her quiet voice. Luke and Leia, too, he could use a taste of the future.

The future of the Jedi.

More Bant's and Garen's and certainly Quin-lan's.

Nava rested her head on his shoulder, the two of them the only ones standing on the edge of the doors as they closed and the room was bathed in soft red light. Red, like the blood on his tunic and red, like the fire that had burned the forests.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. She shrugged. "I'll live. You?" She asked. He smiled wryly. "**_We'll_** live," he agreed. She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Ready for another war, _Negotiator_?" She asked. "I'm a bit tired of war, Nava," he sighed, he felt **so **old.

"Me too. We can take a break, though. Is the house done?" He blinked. He had forgotten about that. "I think so," he said with a shrug. "Good. I'm tired," she said. He nodded and wished feverishly that he could run hand through her hair.

But the moment had ended. "Me too, Nava. So tired."

* * *

Okay, I was almost cyring when I wrote this chapter. By the way, the story is not done yet. We still have the issue of where the surviving Jedi will go. And what will happen to Anakin when the Jedi find out about Luke and Leia...

~Queen Yoda


	41. Chapter 41

Three days later:

~Anakin's POV~

"Hay, little Ani, how're the twins?" Nava asked, astoundingly cheerful, as Anakin and Padme walked over to her and Obi-wan.

He smiled feebly and yawned. "Fussy. They have kept Padme and I awake every night now. I didn't think babies cried so much," he replied with an exhausted grin.

Padme nodded in agreement. "But how about you two? Does anyone know why Master Yoda called everyone here?" She asked.

Every Jedi and senator were in the landing bay of Master's Windu's ship, _The Triumphant_. "The old people committee and the surviving senators have decided what we're going to do now," Nava explained with a teasing smile at Obi-wan, who merely shook his head at her.

Anakin laughed softly, then felt slightly guilty about it, there should be no laughter; only three days after most of the Order had been killed. They had gone from a few hundred Jedi to twenty-five.

Nevertheless, there did not seem to be a great amount of mourning within the ranks of the Jedi Order. There was a cloud of sadness in the air, but their loss had actually brought the Jedi together. A sense of unity stuck to them like burs. In truth, most of the Jedi now traveled in packs and groups.

Affection and comfort were widespread. Anakin had never seen it before, but the Jedi **_were_** a family, a giant cobweb of substitute brothers and cousins and sisters and mothers and fathers**_. _**

**_ How_** any of them knew anything about children (especially Mace Windu and **_Yoda _**of all people) was beyond Anakin, and **_why _**no one seemed angry that he was the father was also beyond him.

****Tears had been shed and hugs had been exchanged. For a day. Before laughter and a happy melancholy had become dominant. The surviving senators had all stared at them as if they were insane.

The Jedi, Anakin had reflected, **_were _**very strange. He loved being one of them all the more for that though.

"What **_are_** we going to do, master?" he asked, turning to Obi-wan. The older man smiled sadly. "We will have to go into hiding," he said with a shrug. Anakin nodded, he had expected that much.

"Apart?" He wondered. "I doubt it. Many will travel together," Obi-wan said, shaking his head. _Will we?_ Anakin wondered. Before he could ask, though, Ahsoka and Intrepid came up.

"Hay, Sky-guy. How do you like being a father?" Ahsoka asked, somehow in good spirits. He grinned at her. "Eh, It's fun when they aren't crying," he said. Padme rammed an elbow into his ribs. "Youch! What? It is," he defended, rubbing his sore side.

Suddenly, Bail Organa, followed by Yoda and Mace, shuffled atop the platform of crates that the clones had made as a stage. A poor stage for a war-hero and valiant politician.

Silence fell over the room. Bail cleared his throat, the politician's voice he had developed echoing strongly over the room.

"I know most of you must have guessed our next move. We all must go into hiding. Darth Sidious has gone back to Courascant; he announced to the rest of the universe that the Jedi had been aiding the Seperatist's cause all along.

"He claims you killed half of the senate and tried to take his life in a coup to take over the Republic. He escaped with the help of the Sith and Dooku's armies, who have made a treaty with the surviving senate on Courascant. Everyone has been fooled," he finished with a rueful sigh.

Anakin felt fury flare in his chest. How could anyone believe such stupid, horrible lies? The Jedi had spent four years fighting, bleeding and winning a war for the Republic. Why would they attempt to take over?

He saw Padme's jaw clench and Ahsoka crossed her arms, eyes aflame with rage. Nava shook her head and Intrepid's fists clenched. A wave of collected anger from the Jedi was released into the force.

"Thus all Jedi have been announced galactic criminals. The Separatist leaders have moved back into the senate building. I'm sorry to announce that… The Jedi temple was burned and the younglings inside murdered," a low growl came from the remaining Jedi.

"His Empire is complete, and we must become invisible. For now, anyway" a small smile graced the lips of the senator. "We are, of course, going to rebel. We have the ships and the equipment for it. We're outnumbered, but that doesn't matter. It never did," Anakin smiled and nodded in agreement. It **never** had mattered.

"I regret to say that the Jedi will be separated. Everyone will pick a planet to house themselves on, somewhere Sidious will not think to look," Mace picked up, stepping forward.

"When the time is right, we will reunite for the greater good. We have to wait awhile, let the public start to hate Sidious too. Then we will create our rebellion. Choose your home carefully, he has already sent Sith out to find us. Until then, we go," with that completed, the three of them exited stage.

Anakin glanced at Padme. She flicked her head to the door. He nodded and put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder as people filed out. They needed to discuss where they were going.


	42. Chapter 42

~Padme's POV~

"Alright," Intrepid, who was seated next to her master on Anakin's bed said rubbing her hands together. "What happens now?" She asked.

There was a silence afterwards. The question hung in the air, thickly, where would they go? She wanted, more than anything, to go to Naboo.

Obi-wan was the first to speak. "I think the question is, what planet is relatively safe," he said slowly. "None," Anakin scoffed. Padme smiled. "I think we should go to Naboo, Ani," she told him. He gave her an odd look.

"Of course we're going to Naboo, Padme. You said you wanted Luke and Leia to grow up there. And we are**_ not_** going to Tatooine," he said. She grinned; they were one is just about everything. That and she agreed; they were** not** going to Tatooine.

"I hate to be the one to burst the happy bubble you two have, but Naboo will be the first place Sidious will look for you two," Nava pointed out. "Nava is right," Obi-wan agreed.

"Don't forget, Anakin, Sidious did want to turn you to the dark Side. I doubt he's given up on that. And even if he can't convince you, Luke and Leia will be most definitely very strong in the force. He'll want to get his hands on them, as well," he pointed out. Padme inhaled sharply. Sidious getting his hands on her babies? Over her dead body.

Anakin's face had turned sour. "You're right," he agreed solemnly. "Where are we going then? You know that I'm coming with you," Ahsoka chimed in. Anakin smiled feebly. "I know. You didn't really have a choice, Snips," he told her. Ahsoka stuck her tongue out at him.

"What about Biyalia?" Intrepid asked. "For us?" Padme wondered, surprised at the suggestion. Of all the planets, why had Intrepid picked Biyalia?

The young apprentice nodded. "Yes, it's kind of like Naboo. Only the winters are harsh. But what does that matter? I doubt Sidious would ever think of it," she said. Padme looked at Anakin.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't Biyalia somewhere in the outer rim?" he asked. "Mid rim," Obi-wan corrected. He smiled slyly.

Padme suddenly had the fleeting suspicion that they all knew something she did looked over at her husband. Anakin narrowed his eyes. "I sense you all are going somewhere with this," he stated carefully.

"Something along those lines," Ahsoka laughed. She looked at Obi-wan. "Do you have it?" She asked. "Yes," Obi-wan pulled a long, rolled up piece of paper from his tunic.

"What is that?" Padme asked. "Your present to the baby shower we never had," Nava snorted. Anakin chuckled as Ahsoka handed it to her. "What is it really?" he asked.

"Blueprints, for a house. A really big house," Padme explained flabbergasted. "What?" Anakin's brow scrunched in confusion. "What is going on?" He asked, looking at Obi-wan.

"Those are the blueprints of your giant house on Biyalia," Ahsoka explained for him. Padme looked up, had she heard that right? Anakin, as well, was sputtering unintelligently. She blinked. "What exactly is going on?" She asked slowly. Obi-wan laughed.

"Well, when Anakin told me you were pregnant, I knew that when the war was done and over, there was no keeping him in the Order. I also knew you'd be excused from the senate Building," he said, giving them both pointed looks.

Padme nodded, had they won the war and not gone into hiding, she would have been sent back to Naboo, probably in disgrace. Anakin would have been expelled in likewise dishonor.

"And just in case Dooku or someone who would come looking for you did escape, we made the home on Biyalia. The last place they would look," Ahsoka added.

And then, sheepishly, she looked down and mumbled "we wanted to make sure you would be okay." Okay? They had built them this huge mansion so that they could be **_okay_**? With this building, they would have been more than just 'okay'.

Padme put a hand to her heart, touched. "How?" Anakin asked, still in shock. "How did you have a house built on Biyalia? How in the universe did you **_pay _**for it?" he gasped. Nava grinned. "One of the benefits of being a friend of the great _Negotiator_," she said.

Padme looked over at Obi-wan. He shrugged modestly. "It was nothing. All I had to do was remind the Biyalian government who had saved their planet three times in a row with little thought to himself. After all, I did get a majority of my scars there. They were happy to do this for me when I reminded them of **that**," he said. Padme looked back down at the prints. Anakin was gawking at Obi-wan incredulously.

There was another astounded silence in which Anakin used the force to snatch the plans from her and bring them to him. He studied them in the silence. "Ahsoka, Intrepid and Obi-wan designed it themselves, fully furnished and almost ready to go" Nava explained. "Do… Do you like it?" Ahsoka asked carefully.

There was another silence.

"Like it?" Anakin scoffed. "Force, this thing looks awesome! I love this design guys, where did you get all of these ideas? And Snips I know you drew this, it looks better than what I would have done," Anakin burst out excitedly. Padme grinned and clapped her hands together. "I love it," She squeaked.

The others nodded. "It's probably not done," Obi-wan warned. Padme snorted. "Who cares? I can't wait to see it anyway. Thank you," she looked around. "All of you."

* * *

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Where are you going, master?" Anakin asked, holding the paper to his chest protectively, as if it would sprout legs and run away from him. Obi-wan could barely wait until he saw the real structure if he was this overprotective of the blasted paper. He was a bit curious himself at how it would look.

Obi-wan shrugged. "I have no clue," he exchanged a glance with Nava, who was staring at him attentively. "My home planet might not be so bad," he suggested. Nava cocked an eyebrow.

"There's a planet of Obi-wan's? I thought you were born in a crater or something," Anakin said in exaggerated horror. He received a pillow in the face in response.

Obi-wan shook his head as Anakin laughed. The boy was insane. "I could say the same about you," he remarked. Anakin hit him with the same pillow. "Alright, alright, what about you two?" Ahsoka asked Intrepid and Nava. Obi-wan looked over at them, **_where_** were they planning on going?

Nava shrugged. "Obi-wan's idea wasn't too bad," she said, to his relief. "Alright," Padme broke out impatiently in the voice that suggested she had been waiting or something and it had never come.

"Since none of you seem brave enough to say it, I will. Are we really going to **_separate_**, after all that we've been through together?" She spoke the question that had been on all of their minds.

There was, again, a moment of silence before Nava sighed. "You have to admit, we **_do_** make a pretty good team," she pointed out. "That's true. We did deliver Luke and Leia together," Ahsoka agreed. The four women gave each other warm smiles.

"I suppose after fifteen years, it wouldn't make sense to separate now," Obi-wan said to Anakin. Anakin sighed wholeheartedly. "That's true. Besides, you'd be bored without me around," he grinned. Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Really? Oh, I think I'd manage. After two weeks, force knows you'd lose your mind without me there," he countered.

Anakin opened his mouth, and then closed it, defeated. "Maybe. It would feel weird too, after so long being 'the team'," he mumbled. Obi-wan cocked an eyebrow. That was as much a confession of affection Anakin would ever make in public.

"I agree," he said simply. "It's decided then," Intrepid said, actually sounding relieved. "We're going to Biyalia. Together" Obi-wan grinned; The Republic had burned. The Jedi's efforts had smoldered in its flames. But from the ashes rose a new day.

A new hope.

* * *

Okay, posting this was a relief. We have two more chapters before this story is done and the next begins. The next episode in this series will be about Ahsoka and Anakin. Then the next (which I'm currently writing) is about Anakin and Obi-wan. And I have a few ideas for the fourth story in this series.

~Queen Yoda


	43. We're going to be alright

**_A week later:_**

~Anakin's POV~

"Sir, we'll be reaching Biyalia in about three hours," his captain reported. Anakin smiled and crossed his arms. "Very good, Rex," he said. He looked back at the swirling vortex that was hyper-space.

"The Empire won't find us there. I hope we can hurry and get to building those barracks," he said, glancing at him. Of course, the troops were following their generals, and thus he had three Jedi cruisers and every supply and clone at his disposal.

There was still a war to fight.

Rex nodded, his helmet tucked under his arm. Right on time, Ahsoka walked in, stretching. She grinned at teh two of them. "Hay, Rex. Morning master," she chirped.

Was it morning? It was impossible to tell in hyperspace. He smiled back at her.

"Its morning?" he asked. She shrugged. "Obi-wan says it is," she answered. Anakin sighed and shook his head. "Now what have I told you about listening to Obi-wan? You know he's getting old," he teased. Ahsoka laughed. "I'll be sure to tell him you said that," she retorted.

Anakin smiled and looked down at his apprentice. The girl who had grown to be like a little sister and daughter in his eyes.

Through countless battles, he had memorized her face, and the time before Ahsoka, those few months he had been a bachelor knight, were fuzzy in his memory. It was if Ahsoka had always been there. _Seventeen_, he reflected affectionately.

_ She's only been alive for seventeen years and already she's fought in the clone War, won battles, seen countless deaths and cruelty. Force, she's done so much. She's grown so much. She could be a knight. She __**should**__ be a knight. _

He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know what we haven't done in a while? We haven't sparred. I want to see how you've improved," he said. Ahsoka looked up at him, and though the innocent sparkle in her eyes had long died away, there was still a spark of childish excitement. "You're on, Sky-guy," she dared.

He laughed and they walked to the training room.

* * *

~Obi-wan's POV~

"Did you ever see this?" She was behind him, leaning against his doorframe with crossed arms. Why she had felt the need to ride with him in _The Negotiator_ was a mystery. To everyone else, that was.

He did not turn as he asked. "See what?" She walked in and stood by the door. "When we were younglings. When we were padawans. Did you ever see this as a future for yourself?" She asked.

Obi-wan laughed at the very notion. "No," he chuckled. "No, I most certainly did not," he said, thinking about how young he had been, how naive. She smiled as he looked up from his data-pad. "Neither did I," she sighed.

She looked away with a small, sad smile. "After my first padawan was killed, I didn't think I could get another. I'm glad I did. After _**we**_ became padawans, I never thought I'd see you again. I'm glad I did," he looked down, blushing. She giggled and walked over, sitting by his side.

He put an arm around her devotedly. "We've fought our own hard battles," he said. She nodded. "It's not over yet, Nava. The war," he reminded her. She nodded again, unfazed.

"We've gotten this far, haven't we? Throughout it all, we survived. It still hurts, but we're alright now. We have a family to take care of, as usual, but somehow I don't feel as if it were forced," Obi-wan nodded in agreement.

He had been forced to take on Anakin. True, he did not regret it, but he had been forced out of his childhood when he had taken on a child. Nava had been forced to also take another apprentice. She did not regret it either.

This time, though, they had not been forced into a family, into responsibility. They had walked along the rode to it. He let out a small, satisfied sigh.

He only wished he could choose another cross-path. One that led him to Nava. She seemed to read his thoughts.

"Even despite the code, we could never do it. Not with the war and the twins and the others," she pointed out. He nodded. One sadness among contentment wasn't so bad. He had lived through worse. Nava laid her head on his shoulder. "A new day is upon us, Nava," he mumbled into her hair.

She nodded. "This war means we get a chance to create a new Jedi Order and a new Republic, better ones," he said. Nava pursed her lips. "Do you think that how they would have wanted us to look at it?" She asked. He knew she meant every person they had loved before.

He chuckled softly as Gui-gon's smile rose in his mind, combined with Siri's laugh, Bant's quiet voice and Garen's cocked eyebrow. They all stared at them in his mind's eye with similar expressions.

"I don't think there **_is_** any other way to think of it. Just as every struggle before us, it could turn out for the best," he said with a small shrug. Nava grinned. "It **_will_** turn out for the best," she said confidently.

He kissed her forehead. "It will," he agreed.

* * *

~Ahsoka's POV~

"No fair! No force use!" Ahsoka yelled down at her teacher. He only smirked as he continued to hold her over his head. She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You cheat," she hissed. He shrugged.

"I am not. Using the force is a reflex. You were about to unarm me, so I lifted you with the force," he let out a small sigh. "Reflex," he explained in mock apology.

Ahsoka shook her head. "You are such a liar, do you know that?' She retorted. He grinned lopsidedly, and the smile made her grin in return. "I do," he admitted, lowering her. She brushed herself off smugly.

Anakin put a hand on her shoulder. "Good work, Ahsoka. I regret to say I've taught you **_too _**well. The student is close to out-stripping the master," he sighed.

Ahsoka felt pride raise her chest. Her master rarely ever admitted such things. To almost surpass Anakin Skywalker was indeed an accomplishment to be proud of.

"I had a good teacher," nevertheless, she **_did_** owe him that much. He chuckled softly. "Humble, as usual. My opposite. That isn't the girl that walked off of the ship on Christophsis," he said. Ahsoka looked down, flattered. "Sorry to tell you this, master, but that Snips is all grown up," she replied.

There was a pang of sadness in her words. Death, despair, treachery and battles had filled her life for the past four years. Any other child would have perished of depression or heart attacks. She had not though, and there was also a pang of pride because of that.

There was a saddened sigh from Anakin. "I know. It's a shame it happened so fast. Now I have to figure out some better lies," he groaned. Ahsoka hit him playfully.

"Lying is not the Jedi way, Sky-guy," she said. Anakin rolled his eyes. "I know that, **_youngling_**," he countered. Ahsoka couldn't help but grin. He was a youngling himself.

Suddenly, his expression turned serious. "I'm proud of you, Ahsoka. You've taken so much on your shoulders, and helped me so much throughout all of this. I only wish I could have ended this war for you. Preserve the little childhood you have left," he said.

Ahsoka inhaled sharply. Never had her master spoken so honestly to her. And his words had touched a piece of her heart that had been coated by strength at the beginning of the war. She had struggled and vied for Anakin's acceptance and pride. She had received it, and the feeling of pure happiness stung at her pleasantly.

She struggled to find an equally impressive answer. "The war isn't your fault," she said. "And besides, who says it will be so bad? Another Clone war, big deal. Only this time," she grinned. "We have Luke and Leia," she said. _And each other_, she added in her mind. Anakin probably guessed her un-spoken thoughts.

"You know, Ahsoka," he said, throwing an arm over her shoulders. She felt safe under his arm. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe. "I hate the fact that we have **_another _**war, but somehow I'm not worried about it. I think we'll be okay" she nodded in agreement.

"We will be," she agreed. "Just you and me, master. You're**_ still_** stuck with me," she said. Anakin laughed and squeezed her shoulder. "I know. I'm glad. You're the best, Snips," her heart soared. She reached over and squeezed his hand.

"You're the best, master."

* * *

Wasn't that so touching? The next chapter is the last of this story, The Dawn Of Conclusion. After this, continuing this storyline of course will be Jedi Legends: The Master's search. And then Jedi Legends: The battleground of Brothers. Thank you to all of my reviewers and readers. Your advice was invaluable.

~Queen Yoda


	44. The end

~Anakin's POV~

"Sir, we have arrived," Rex called through the comm. link. Anakin looked over at Padme in excitement. She beamed and looked down at Leia in her arms. "You hear that, Leia?" she whispered.

"I did, let's go!" Ahsoka intercepted, hopping to her feet. Anakin laughed and stood, cradling his son.

"Everyone ready and willing?" Nava asked from the doorway. "I can't wait until you see this house. I do hope it's done," Obi-wan said from next to her.

"We're already building the clones barracks. It will be perfect, done or not," Padme stated knowingly, rushing past him. Obi-wan grinned, shaking his head.

Anakin smiled back. "She's excited," he explained to an amused Obi-wan. "We can see that," Nava laughed, following her.

"Ahsoka, come **_on_**!" Intrepid called. "We're arriving in the atmosphere! We might be able to see it from here," she said. Ahsoka pushed past them after her.

Obi-wan chuckled. "So impatient," he said. "Yah, well, excitement can do that to a person. Relax, old man, we're moving into a new house. Besides, I need to get off this ship," Anakin said, walking past him.

Obi-wan nodded in pure agreement. He never had liked flying. And all the less when Anakin was present aboard the ship. "You read my mind. Does Luke have his eyes open already?" he asked, peaking at the silent child. Anakin smiled proudly and nodded. "He's a quick learner," he boasted.

"Most Jedi children are," Obi-wan told him. "Which isn't always a good thing. If seeing you struggle with Ahsoka was hilarious, I wonder what will happen when Luke and Leia get older," he laughed at the thought as Anakin cringed with horror. "I just hope they'll be more like Padme than me," he said, as they started to walk down the hall after the girls.

"I hope **_not_**," Obi-wan contradicted. Anakin glanced at him, and felt another bout of surging affection for his old friend.

"So, I guess we're going on yet another adventure, master. We seem to get ourselves into a lot of weird situations like these," he said teasingly.

Obi-wan sighed and nodded. "Yes, we do. Why I still follow you around is a mystery," he said. "Why I still follow** you** around is a mystery to," they shared a warm glance.

Fifteen years of respect and strife and faith mixed in their gazes. "Anakin!" Padme called excitedly. Anakin ran to the bridge. Indeed, as Intrepid had said, they were in the atmosphere.

Right above his half-finished new home. Obi-wan joined him at his side as Padme covered her mouth in…. In whatever emotion could compare to this joy. It felt like home, already.

"Very nice," Nava said; walking over to grip Obi-wan's arm. Ahsoka threw a companionable arm over Intrepid's shoulders. Padme and Anakin rocked their children as they stared down at their new home. And the new future it held.

"Very beautiful," Intrepid observed, seemingly impressed. Anakin grinned. It had been a hard road, but whatever came next, he could face it. He **_and_** his family.

They could face **_anything_**. _Watch out, Sidious,_ he thought fiercely. _Because the second we can, its war-time_, why the thought exhilarated him was odd. The others would understand though.

The clones cheered behind him, impressed. He glanced down the line that was his newly found family. For a moment, they had no formal titles.

There was Padme, his wife and inspiration. Obi-wan, his father and brother. Nava, his sister and laughter. Ahsoka, his daughter and strength. Intrepid, his cousin and knowledge. Luke, his son, his light. Leia, his fought-for peace.

Together, they made a new **hope**.

_** THE END**_

* * *

Coming to fanfiction soon is Jedi Legends: The master's search! Keep a lookout for it. And thank you to everyone who reviewed, They make me post faster...

~Queen Yoda


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